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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




I 



THE 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



BY REV. DANIEL SMITH, 

AUTHOR OF "parent's FRIEND," "LIFE OF MOSES," "DANIEL,** 
AND OTHER WORKS FOR YOUTH. 



REVISED BY THE EDITORS, 



NEW-YORK: 

PUBLISHED BY T. MASON AND Q. LANE, 

For the Sunday School Un-ion of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
at the Conference Office, 200 Mulberry-street. 

/. CoUord, Printer. 
1840. 



" Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 
1840, by T. Mason and G. Lane, in the Clerk's Office 
of the District Court of the Southern District of New- 




LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



CHAPTER I. 

Description of Chaldea — The Chaldean shepherds some 
of the earliest astronomers — They fall into idolatry — Birth 
of Abraham — His call to forsake Chaldea — His faith and 
obedience — Goes to Mesopotamia, accompanied by several 
of his relatives — His father Terah dies — A second call — 
Abraham and Lot go westward — Description of the country 
to which they arrive — They pitch their tents near Shechem 
— Description ©f Shechem — Altars and sacrifices. 

There is a large, level country in Asia, 
which was formerly called Chaldea. It is now 
a part of Turkey in Asia, This country 
had a very fertile soil, which produced abun- 
dance of vegetation. The climate was warm, 
and except during a very short period of the 
year, when it suffered by hot winds from the 
distant deserts of sand, was soft and dehght- 
ful. It was inhabited by what is called a 
pastoral people. By a pastoral people we 
mean those who live in tents, and keep large 
flocks of sheep and goats, and large numbers 
of cattle and camels. 



6 



LIFE OP ABRAHAM. 



The great plain of Chaldea had rich pas- 
tures, where the grass grew very luxuriantly. 
Thousands of cattle were scattered over these 
green pastures. The gentle shepherd led his 
flocks and herds into these fertile fields, and 
they drank fi'om the running streams, and 
lay down upon the soft carpet formed by the 
green grass. 

These shepherds were in the habit of 
spending many of their nights in the open 
air. The heavens were calm and serene, 
the stars shone with peculiar beauty, and the 
pleasing stillness of night invited their minds 
to meditation. Thus they were led to study 
the motions of the heavenly bodies,* and 
became some of the earliest astronomers in 
the world. 

Such pleasing studies should have made 
them pious and devout, for what is there that 
shows more clearly the power and wisdom of 
God than the beautiful starry heavens? 
These stars and planets are suns and worlds 
that move along in their orbits, or paths, with 
wonderful order and regularity. When King 
David, who had also been a shepherd, viewed 
them, he was led to praise and adore the 

* Stars and planets are called heavenly bodies. 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM, 



7 



great Being who made them. He also saw 
his own littleness amid the immensity of 
God's works. " When I consider the hea- 
vens." says he, " the work of thy fingers, the 
moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, 
what is man, that thou art mindful of him, 
or the son of man, that thou visitest him ! 
Thou hast made him a little lower than the 
angels, thou hast crowned him with glory 
and honour, and hast placed him over the 
works of thy hands." 

But the Chaldean shepherds fell into idol- 
atry, and began to worship the stars instead 
of Him who made the stars. This senseless 
star- worship was one of the first methods by 
which the descendants of Noah forsook God. 

Among the people I have been describing, 
there was a man named Abram, or, as he 
was afterward called, Abraham. He is sup- 
posed to have been born in the year of the 
world two thousand and eight, which was 
only two years after Noah's death. We do 
not know whether Abraham ever fell into the 
sin of idolatry, but we are told that "his 
fathers served other gods beyond the flood," 
that is, beyond the river Euphrates, where 
they Uved. If Abraham was ever led into 



8 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



this sin he did not continue in it, but became 
a worshipper of the true God. Probably 
there were some persons who maintained 
the true religion, which they had received 
from God through Noah. By means of these 
persons he might have learned the right way, 
although, as we have already seen, Noah 
died a little before Abraham was born. 

God saw that Abraham was a man capable 
of doing a great deal of good in the worldy 
and he determined to employ him in very 
important services. But he was exposed to 
very great temptations. The people around 
him were most of them idolaters. We all 
know how much people are influenced by the 
company they keep. If they associate with 
the wise and good, their wisdom increases 
and their piety brightens ; if with people of 
pleasant and easy manners, they become 
courteous and refined ; but if they associate 
with profane, wicked, and clownish people, 
they are liaMe to be led into the same €vil 
courses. Perhaps Abraham^s virtue was 
strong enough to withstand these tempta- 
tions, but they might destroy his children. 
God saw this, and did not wish him to bring 
up his family among such wicked people; 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



9 



he therefore determined to send him to an- 
other country, where he would no longer be 
disturbed by his wicked relations. 

We are told in the Bible, that while Abra- 
ham lived in Ur, a city of Chaldea, the God 
of glory appeared to him. How he ap- 
peared to Abraham we do not know. Some- 
times God appeared to the patriarchs and 
prophets in visions ; at other times in a 
voice from heaven ; and at others he made 
a secret impressioji upon their minds. 
Whether he did it in one way or the other, it 
was done in such a manner that they knew 
it was God who addressed them. We should 
think, from its being said, the God of glory 
appeared to Abraham and spoke to him^ 
that he saw some very bright and glorious 
appearance.^ and that God addressed him 
in a distinct voice. The direction which 
he gave was, " Get thee out of thy 

COUNTRY AND FROM THY KINDRED, AND 
GO INTO THE LAND WHICH I SHALL SHOW 
THEE." 

This was a trial of Abraham's faith and 
obedience. God did not tell him where he 
was intending to lead him. It might be 
over high mountains, and through thick 



10 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



forests ; the journey might be long, painful, 
and dangerous. The country he was to 
leave was pleasant and fruitful. In the de* 
lightful plains of Chaldea " the Lord God had 
made trees to grow that were pleasant to the 
sight and good for food. The earth brought 
forth grass, and the herbs yielded fruit after 
their kinds." But the land to which Abra- 
ham was to go might, for any thing he knew 
to the contrary, be rugged and barren; it 
might be destitute of pastures for his flocks, 
and be inhabited by a fierce and cmel people ; 
besides, Abraham was now seventy-five years 
old. There is something very affecting in 
beholding a man of that age leaving the 
home of his youth and the scenes endeared 
to him by a thousand fond recollections. 
But Abraham did not stop to ask any ques- 
tions, or make any objections ; he promptly 
obeyed the call, for he knew that God's com- 
mands were always right. 

** O'er deserts, floods, and steeps, at Heaven's command, 
The pilgrim journeys to that distant land." 

When Abraham told his friends what God 
had commanded him to do, several of them 
determined to go with him. They had pro- 
bably forsaken the idolatry of their country- 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



11 



men, and were now worshippers of the true 
God. Nahor, Abraham's brother. Lot, his 
nephew, and even Terah, his aged father, 
rose up and departed with him. Abraham 
was a married man, and was accompanied 
by his wife Sarah, and the others all took 
their families, their flocks and herds, and all 
their substance with them. 

They were first led to Haran, or as it is 
sometimes called, Charran. This was a flat 
and barren region westward of Ur. How 
long Abraham continued here we do not 
know ; some suppose about five years, while 
others think but a few months. Abraham 
was here called to part with his father. The 
aged sire had long lived to be a comfort to his 
children. He had seen them grow up like 
olive plants around him. God had given 
him that greatest of all blessings which a 
father can have, a pious family, and he 
could say, " Now, Lord, lettest thou thy ser- 
vant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen 
thy salvation." 

After the death of Terah, God appeared to 
Abraham a second time, and commanded 
him to remove again to a land that he would 
show him. He also at this time made to 



12 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



Abraham one of the most extraordinary pro- 
mises : " I will make of thee a great nation, 
and I will bless thee, and make thy name 
great, and thou shalt be a blessing. And 

IN THEE SHALL ALL THE FAMILIES OP 
THE EARTH BE BLESSED." 

There are two distinct promises here. The 
first is, that Abraham shall be the father of 
a great nation. This promise was abun- 
dantly fulfilled. The Jews were Abraham's 
descendants, and we know they became a 
very great nation, and they have continued 
to be, indeed, a very numerous people to 
this day. 

The second promise is, '^And in thee 

SHALL ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH 

BE BLESSED." What does this mean. It 
means that the great Messiah, the Lord 
Jesus Christ, should descend from Abra- 
ham. He was to come as the Saviour of the 
world. By his provision of mercy for the 
world, all men might repent of their sins and 
find pardon. He was to be the greatest 
blessing ever given to man. He is a Saviour 
for you and me, and thus through Abraham 
a blessing is prepared for us. 

When Abraham had received this second 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



13 



command, he resolved at once to obey it. 
Terah was dead. His brother Nahor was 
settled in Haran, and concluded to stay by 
the grave of his father. But Lot would not 
suffer Abraham to go alone; he wished to 
share in the blessings of his pious uncle, and 
resolved to go with him. They gathered 
together their servants and their flocks, and 
commenced their journey westward. They 
knew not where they were to go, but they 
had God for their protector and guide, and 
could trust confidently in him. In the New 
Testament this trust is called faith. " By 
faith Abraham, when he was called to go 
out into a place which he should afterward 
receive for an inheritance, obeyed, and he 
went out, not knowing whither he went." 

God now led Abraham and his company 
into a very diffei'ent land from that which 
they had left. Haran was level and barren. 
There was a sameness in the desert plains 
that stretched away in the distance, which 
made them dull and uninteresting. The 
country at which they now arrived was 
broken and uneven. Here a lofty mountain 
rose suddenly from the plain, and there was 
a deep and romantic glen. Now the traveller 



14 



LITE OF ABRAHAM. 



winds his way over a rocky hill or along a 
steep precipice, while just before him is spread 
out a beautiful valley filled with fruits and 
flowers. The Bible describes it as " a land 
of brooks of water, of fountains and depths 
that spring out of valleys and hills, a land of 
wheat and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, 
and pomegranates, a land of oil-olive and 
honey." This was just such a place as 
Abraham wanted. He had many cattle, and 
sheep, and goats, and needed a country 
adapted to pasturage, a country where his 
shepherds could lead the flocks into green 
valleys, and upon fruitful hills, and by 
streams of running water. In this fine land, 
which was called Canaan, Abraham was to 
take up his abode. 

He first pitched his tent at Shechem, where 
the city of Naplouse now stands. It is a fine 
vale, between two mountains called Ebal and 
Gerizim.* We cannot tell precisely how it 
appeared in the days of Abraham, but mo- 
dern travellers describe the present appearance 
of the place as exceedingly beautiful. They 

* For an account of the interesting transaction which 
afterward took place here, see Life of Moses, published 
by the Sunday School Union of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



15 



assure us nothing can be finer than the view 
of the city standing- in this valley, when seen 
from the surrounding heights. As you ap- 
proach from the hills, it appears embosomed 
in the most delightful and fragrant bowers, 
half concealed by rich gardens, and stately 
trees collected into groves, all around the bold 
and picturesque vale. 

One of the first things that Abraham did 
after he had erected his tents was to build 
an altar to the Lord. The altar in those 
days was either a mound of earth or a square 
heap of stones, on which sheep and oxen 
were offered in sacrifice to God. These 
sacrifices signified two thiiigs. First, they 
were gratitude offerings^ in acknowledg- 
ment of God's goodness in giving oxen and 
sheep, and the fruits of the field to man. 
Secondly, when the beasts were slain for 
sacrifice, it was done as a confession that 
those who sleiv them had sinned, and de- 
served to suffer for their crimes. But 
these offerings signified that those who 
made them believed God loould accept 
another sacrifice in the place of man^ so 
that man might be pardoned^ and not 
perish. They pointed to the Lord Jesus 



16 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



Christ, who was to come and suffer in our 
place. As the animal that was sacrificed 
was innocent^ so loould the Saviour be in- 
nocent. As the animal suffered for others^ 
sins, and not his own^ so would the Saviour 
suffer, not for any sins that he had com- 
mitted, hut for those of man. As the ani- 
maVs blood was shed, so would the blood 
of the Saviour be shed. 

It was in this way that Abraham mani- 
fested his faith in that Saviour who was to 
come. And beUeving in a saviour to come, 
he was saved, as well as those who now 
believe in a Saviour that has come. 



CHAPTER II. 

An account of the Canaanites — Farther description of 
the country — God foresees that they will go on increasing 
in wickedness, and determines to take the country from, 
them, and give it to Abraham's descendants — Abraham 
removes to a mountain near Bethel- — Erects a second 
altar — A mountain a delightful place for worship — ^Abra- 
ham's example — Address to the reader. 

The country where Abraham ,had now 
taken up his abode was inhabited by a 
people called Canaanites. They were the 
descendants of one of Noah's grandsons, 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM, 



17 



whose name was Canaan, and received their 
name from him. These people had aheady 
become wicked, but God was patient and 
long-suffering toward them, and unwiJlingj 
at present, to cast them oK But he looked 
forward and saw what they would be at 
a future time, just as clearly a^ we see what 
is now passing before us. Suppose the scene 
was before us now, as it was before God 
then. We should see a people rich in mer- 
cies from the Lord. A fine country would 
be spread out before us ; its valleys would be 
filled with fields of grain ; springs would 
gush out from the sides of the hills, and pure 
streams be seen winding their way through 
the vales : here would rise a grove of lofty 
palm-trees, loaded with delicious fruit, and 
there clusters of the olive-tree would form a 
shady bower; the cattle would be straying 
through the rich pastures, and the sheep and 
iambs gamboling on the hills; a fine soft 
sky would be spread out over our heads, cities 
and villages would meet the eye in different 
dii'ections, and we should behold a land which 
the Lord had blessed. 

We should say the people of this land 
ought to be a verv good people, and very 
2 



18 LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 

grateful to God; that prayer and praise 
should be offered up in every family; and 
that every village should have its house of 
worship. We should say these highly favoured 
people should live in peace and love, and that 
whatsoever things were honest and lovely, 
and of good report, should abound among 
them. But instead of this, we should find 
them a race of wicked idolaters ; a people 
who had forsaken the God of their pious 
fathers for the worship of dumb idols; war 
and violence would be heard in the land; 
and cruelties and crimes, too bad to mention, 
would appear in every quarter. You would 
see even parents sacrificing their own children 
to their bloody idol Moloch, that is, bmning 
them alive in the worship of an image of 
brass or iron. 

Now this is a true picture of these Ca- 
naanites about four hundred years after 
Abraham went to live in the land. God 
saw that this would be their conduct, and he 
determined to take the country from them, 
and give it to a better people. But he would 
not do this until " the cup of their iniqui- 
ties was fullP He therefore said to Abra- 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



19 



ham, "Unto thy. seed or descendants will I 
give this land." 

Abraham now removed to a mountain on 
the east of Bethel. This might have been 
either to find a place of greater security from 
the inhabitants, or to obtain fresh pasturage 
for his cattle, or perhaps to see more of the 
country. On this mountain he erected an- 
other altar to the Lord. A mountain was a 
very fit place for worship. Its retirement, its 
pure air, and its elevation, all seemed to 
invite the mind to holy meditations. 

It is pleasing to see the piety of Abraham. 
He was in a land where the people were 
given up to heathenism. Few, if any, were 
willing to join him in the worship of God. 
The whole force of evil example was against 
him. But everywhere he went he erected 
an altar to God. He kept his family and 
servants from the wickedness which sur- 
rounded them, and pursued a pure worship 
amid a corrupt and corrupting idolatry. 

When you think of Abraham, my dear 
children, do you not wish to be hke him ? 
Do you not wish to have such decision of 
mind and firmness of character ? such 
love to God as he had ; such as would 



20 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



enable you to stand out against a world of 
sin and sinners. If then you would be like 
Abr^-ham, you must have faith hke him. 
He believed God, believed that God would 
keep him, beheved he woald fulfil his pro- 
mises to him, and by faith looked forward to 
heaven as his great reward. He did not con- 
sider this world as his home, but reckoned 
himself only as ^' a pilgrim or sojourner" here 
— one travelling to a better country. Happy 
are they, whether old or young, w^ho follow 
the example of faithful Abraham — they can 
say 

*' Strangers and pilgrims here below, 
This earth we know is not our place, 

But hasten through the vale of wo, 
And, restless to behold thy face, 

Swift to our heavenly country move, 

Our everlasting home above." 

** We have no 'biding city here. 

But seek a city out of sight, 
Thither our steady course we steer 

Aspiring to the plains of light ; 
Jerusalem, the saints' abode. 
Whose founder is the living God.'* 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



31 



CHAPTER III, 

God sends a famine upon the land of Canaan — A sad 
picture — In this world the righteous often suffer with the 
wicked — ^Abraham journeys to Egypt — His fear leads him 
into difBculty-— The famine ceases, and he returns to Ca- 
naan — A-braham and Lot separate — A contrast — Lot's un- 
fortunate choice — God appears and renews his promise to 
Abraham — A favourite spot--Abraham not ashamed of his 
religion. 

Abraham had not been long in Canaan 
before he met with a severe trial ; God sent 
a famine on the land. The famines in the East 
were usually the effect of drought ; no clouds 
gathered in the sky ; the sun poured down his 
beams day after day upon the unsheltered 
earth, and gradually the springs ceased to 
flow, and the brooks dried up ; then the grass 
withered in the fields, and the leaves upon the 
trees died ; the famishing cattle put out their 
parched tongues, and every thing looked 
mournful and desolate. The fruits of former 
years were gradually consumed, and men 
looked on each other, and knew not what 
to do. 

This famine was doubtless sent to chastise 
the wicked Canaanites for their sins ; it was 
intended to show them the folly and sin of 
worshipping idols. How vain were such gods 



22 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM:. 



as could not raise a cloud in the sky, or bring 
down a drop of rain on the desolate earth, 
gods which must leave their foolish worship- 
pers to perish in the time of their greatest 
need! 

In this world the righteous often suffer for 
the misconduct of the wicked : so it was with 
Abraham ; he and his servants and his cattle 
pined under the dreadful scourge of Provi- 
dence. This was a severe trial of Abraham's 
faith : he had scarcely entered the promised 
land before he was driven out of it ; and 
where was he to go ! Unbelief might have 
whispered, " Go back to Chaldea, go back to 
the fertile soil and rich pastures you have 
left." But faith uttered a very different lan- 
guage ; it urged him to go forward in the path 
of obedience, and leave God to take care of 
the rest. Abraham did so. Egypt was near 
by, and famine did not prevail there : it was 
watered by the river Nile, and this river re- 
ceived its supplies from the distant high lands 
of Abyssinia, where the rains continued to 
descend. So Abraham took his flocks and 
herds, and journeyed toward Egypt. 

As they drew near to Egypt, Abraham began 
to think of the people who dwelt where he was 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



23 



going. He had no very good opinion of them, 
and with reason. His wife Sarah was a very 
beautiful w^oman. As people lived much 
longer in those days than they do now, they 
retained their strength and beauty much 
longer: Sarah was at least sixty-five years 
old at this time, and perhaps more; but she 
was still a very attractive woman. The 
Egyptian women were dark and swarthy, 
while she was of a light and fair complexion. 
This made Abraham fear that the Egyptians 
would kill him for the sake of getting pos- 
session of his wife. Instead of trusting in 
God to protect him, as he had done at other 
times, he gave way to these fears, and acted 
unworthy of himself and his religion. He 
said to Sarah, "Behold, now I know that 
thou art a fair woman to look upon, there- 
fore it shall come to pass when the Egyptians 
shall see thee, that they will say, This is his 
wife, and they will kill me, but they will save 
thee alive : say, I pray thee, that thou art my 
sister, that it may be well with me for thy 
sake, and my soul shall live because of thee." 
This was no falsehood, but it was keeping 
back part of the truth. Sarah was indeed 
Abraham's sister : they had the same father, 



24 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



but different mothers. Such marriages are 
not allowable now, but it- might have been 
better that Abraham should marry his half- 
sister than to marry into a family of the 
idolatrous Chaldeans. 

Abraham and Sarah had scarcely reached 
Egypt before the news of Sarah's extraordi- 
nary beauty reached the king. He sent and 
brought her into the royal palace ; and as he 
supposed Abraham to be only her brother, he 
treated him with great respect, Sarah was 
on the point of becoming the wife of the king, 
when God interposed in a remarkable man- 
ner for her delivemnce. The Bible tells us 
that ''the Lord plagued the king and his 
house with great plagues, because of Sarah, 
Abraham's wife." It seems the people of 
Egypt had not at this time lost all knowledge 
of the true God ; they understopd that these 
plagues were from him, and that he was dis- 
pleased with the king. When they inquired 
for the cause, they readily found that it was 
because the king had taken away the wife 
of Abraham. "And the king called Abra- 
ham and said : What is this thou hast doae 
unto me ? why didst thou not tell me that she 
was thy wife ? why saidst thou. She is my 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



25 



sister? for I might have taken her for my 
wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, 
and go thy way." 

Tiiis was a mildj but rather cutting reproof 
to Abraham : it probably proved salutary to 
him, for a good man is ready to improve from 
every merited rebuke. King Solomon says, 
" Reprove a wise man, and he will be still 
wiser." 

The famine had now ceased in Canaan ; 
the winds had wafted over the clouds and 
pressed them one against another, until their 
fine watery particles mingled together, and 
descended in refreshing showers upon the 
parched earth. 

On the thin air without a prop 

Hung fruitful showers around, 
At God's command they sink and drop 

Their fatness on the ground." 

Now the air was fresh and pure, the winds 
no longer brought clouds of dust, the wither- 
ed grass sprung up from the brown earth, the 
buds on the vine swelled and burst into clus- 
ters of green leaves ; the olive and fig-trees, 
which had been bare and leafless, began to 
put on their green robes ; the springs bubbled 
up again from their fountains, and streams 



26 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



began again to stray through the valleys. 
Once more Canaan was clothed in verdure, 
and smiled in beauty and fertiUty. 

— New harvests rise ; 

A softer lustre gilds the genial skies, 
For panting flocks adown the mountain's side 
Bright gushing streamlets pour their silver tide, 
Reviving summer fills her horn, and brings 
Content and plenty on her balmy v^^ings. 

Mrs. Bulmer. 

Abraham had received a large present of 
sheep and oxen, asses, camels and servants, 
from Pharaoh, king of Egypt. With these, 
and the flocks and herds which he took with 
him when he left Canaan, he now returned. 
He was accompanied by Lot, who had been 
with him in Egypt : they went first to Bethel, 
where they had formerly erected an altar. 
Here Abraham had enjoyed sweet communion 
with God, and he felt an attachment to the 
very place ; besides, he had just returned safely 
from his journey, and this, and the removal 
of the famine, called for joyful thanksgiving 
to God. 

Abraham and Lot were now very rich ; 
they had large flocks and many servants. 
But riches often bring trouble and anxiety, 
instead of ease and comfort. So it proved on 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



27 



this occasion. Contentions arose between the 
shepherds of Abraham and those of Lot, 
probably about the richest pastures and best 
watering places. The Canaanites occupied a 
part of the country, and the flocks and herds 
of Abraham and Lot had become so nume- 
rous that they could not find sufficient pas- 
turage. Under these circumstances they found 
it best to separate. This was done in a man- 
ner that shows the amiable character of Abra- 
ham to fine advantage. 

" And Abraham said to Lot, Let there be 
no strife, I pray thee, between thee and me, 
and between my herdmen and thy herd- 
men ; for we be brethren. Is not the whole 
land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, 
frorii me : if thou wilt take the left hand, then 
I will go to the right ; or if thou depart to the 
right hand, then I will go to the left." 

This was very generous in Abraham. He 
was the oldest man, and every way Lot's su- 
perior : he might have first chosen for him- 
self, and then left Lot to take the portion that 
remained ; but his noble soul was above sel- 
fishness. It would be very pleasing to see Lot 
imitating this fine example. A little civility 
or good breeding might have taught him to 



28 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



refer the choice back to Abraham ; but he 
seems on this occasion, at least, to have been 
guided only by a selfish spirit, and to have 
forgotten the obligations due to his excellent 
uncle. He Ufted up his eyes and surveyed the 
surrounding country : the plain of Jordan lay 
directly before him ; its fertile fields and green 
pastures presented a most inviting appearance. 
The most beautiful river in all Palestine was 
winding its way through the midst of it. The 
Bible tells us " it was like the garden of the 
Lord." Lot did not stop to consider the bad 
character of the people inhabiting this fertile 
plain, but immediately chose it for his resi- 
dence. 

The two friends now separated. Lot jour- 
neyed eastward, and pitched his tents near 
Sodom ; but the men of Sodom were wicked, 
and sinners before the Lord exceedingly," so 
that we shall see in the end he had made a 
most unfortunate choice. 

Lot had no sooner departed than God ap- 
peared and renewed his promise to Abmham. 
He directed him to look abroad upon the 
country in every direction, and promised to 
give him and his descendants all the land 
which he saw ; he also promised to make his 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



29 



posterity an exceedingly numerous people. 
" Arise/' said he, " walk through the land in 
the length of it. and the breadth of it, for I 
will give it unto thee." Abraham accordingly 
arose and journeyed southward to the oak of 
Mamre. This was a favourite spot with the 
patriarch: there was probably a delightful 
grove of oaks, which afforded a quiet and 
agreeable shelter from the sun for his tents 
and cattle : it was near Hebron, one of the 
most ancient cities in the world. 

No sooner had Abraham pitched his tents 
in his shady retreat than he erected another 
altar to God. He was never ashamed or afraid 
to avow his religion. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The first war which history explicitly records^ — War a 
bad business — What wars may be justified — Lot and his 
family taken captive — Abraham pursues the robbers and 
liberates the captives — A joyful sight — Interview with the 
king of Salem — Interviev; with the king of Sodom — Jus- 
tice and generosity. 

A NEW scene now opens upon us. We have 
an account of the first war which history re- 
cords. Would to Gcd it had been the last. But 



30 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



from that time to this the earth has been filled 
with violence. Perhaps, my dear children, you 
have never thought of this subject in the right 
manner. You have been used to see men clad 
in beautiful uniform ; the prancing steeds, the 
nodding plumes, and graceful evolutions of 
moving ranks, and the spirit stirring sounds 
of the drum and trumpet, have appeared quite 
captivating to you. You have perhaps thought, 
^- 1 should like to be an officer, and ride on a 
proud war-horse, and have a bright sword 
hanging at my side or glittering in my hand." 
But think once more. What are all these 
mihtary preparations for? Go into a battle field, 
and you will learn : there you will see great 
numbers of men gathered together, and for 
what ? Why, to blow out each other's brains, 
and thrust their weapons of death into each 
other's hearts. There you will see men all red 
and gory with their own blood, wounded men 
will be lying on the ground, with their Hmbs 
quivering with agony, and their countenances 
pale with keen distress : many of these men 
are husbands and fathers; they have little 
children at home that love them ; these httle 
children will hear the sad tale of their suflfer- 
ings, but will never see them more. What if 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



31 



one of these men lying on the cold damp 
ground without any one to bind up his wounds 
or even speak a kind word to him, was your 
own dear father ? would you think then that 
war was a fine thing. No, my dear children, 
war as it is generally practised is hateful: 
it fills families with mourning; it sets men to 
murdering those who never did them any in- 
jury, and whom they never even saw before ; it 
burns cities, and turns out aged people and 
helpless mothers, with their Uttle infants, to 
suffer and perish with hunger and cold : most 
of the men slain in battle are absolutely mur- 
dered, and those who slay them are nothing 
less than murderers. 

" What are those men whose names create such dread, 
Napoleon, * * * * or a Cesar dead ; 
What are the deeds from which they gather fame ? 
Plain wilful murder with another name. 
And such as shine in honour's foremost place 
Are licensed butchers of the human race.'* 

A war to defend our homes and our fire- 
sides may be just ; but wars for what wicked 
men call honour and glory, wars for plunder 
and conquest, are abhorred by God and detest- 
ed by all the good. 

While Abraham was at the oak of Mamre, 
Tie received the tidings of a sad calamity 



32 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



which had befallen Lot. It seems there were 
five cities in the fertile valley of the Jordan. 
They were Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Ze- 
boim, and Zoar ; these five cities were govern- 
ed by five kings, and these five kings had 
been subject to Chederlaomer. king of Elam 
or Persia. They had become tired of their 
bondage, and determined to free themselves 
fi-om the king of Persia : Chederlaomer en- 
gaged the other kings to assist him, and 
marched against them : the five kings united 
their armies, and met their invaders in the 
vale of Siddim, but their army was put to 
flight; and a great part of it destroyed. The 
conquerors then plundered their cities, and 
carried away as many as they could make 
prisoners; among these prisoners were Lot 
and his family. 

When a messenger came and told Abra- 
ham what had befallen Lot, he was gi'eatly 
affected. Though Lot had treated him quite 
ungenerously by choosing the best part of the 
country for himself, and leaving him to live 
as he might on the poorer part of the land, 
still Abraham indulged no unkind feelings 
toward him. He at once determined to risk 
his life in an attempt to rescue him from the 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



33 



robbers, and immediately put himself at the 
head of three hundred and eighteen of his 
servants ; he was also joined by three friendly 
chiefs, named Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner. At 
the head of this band he pursued the plunder- 
ing army, and overtook them in the night at 
a place called Dan. This is supposed by 
some to have been near the fountains of Jeri- 
cho, about thirty or forty miles from the oak 
of Mamre, but others suppose it to have been 
near the springs of the Jordan, about two 
hundred miles distant. 

Abraham had but a small force with which 
to attack a large and victorious army, and 
even if he gained the victory, they might 
carry off the female captives on their swift 
camels and dromedaries. But he divided his 
little band with so much skill, and fell upon 
them with so much courage and spirit that 
they were completely routed ; they fled, and 
Abraham pursued them to Hobah, a place 
near the ancient and beautiful city of Damas- 
cus. The flying foe was finally obliged to 
give up all which had been taken. Poor Lot 
and his distressed family were delivered, and 
all the men, women, children, and goods were 
retaken. Abraham marched back in triumph, 
3 



34 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



bearing with him a joyful companyj whom he 
had rescued from violence and bondage. It 
must have been exceedingly pleasant to see 
Lot and his wife and daughters returning 
under the protection of their kind uncle. 

On his return Abraham passed by Jerusa- 
lem : it was then called Salem, and was 
governed by Melchisedek, who was a good 
man in the midst of wicked times : he was 
not only a king, but also "a priest of the 
most high God:" Melchisedek, in the true 
spirit of hospitality, brought out bread and 
wine to refresh the weary company : he bless- 
ed Abraham, and said, "Blessed be Abraham 
of the most high God, possessor of heaven 
and earth, and blessed be the most high God, 
who hath delivered thine enemies into thy 
hand." 

In token of his gratitude to God for his late 
victory, and as a mark of respect to Melchise- 
dek in his office of priest, Abraham presented 
him with one-tenth of the spoils which he 
had taken from the enemy. 

The king of Sodom also came out to meet 
them : he was overjoyed at Abraham's vic- 
tory, and taid, "Give me the persons and 
take the goods to thyself ;" but Abraham had 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



35 



not fought for riches : his only object had been 
to deliver the oppressed. With that lofty gene- 
rosity, which was a noble trait in his charac- 
ter, he refused to take the least thing. "I have," 
said he, " lifted up my hand unto the Lord 
the most high God, the possessor of hea- 
ven and earth, that I will not take from a 
thread even to a shoe latchet, and that I will 
not take any thing that is thine, lest thou 
shouldst say, I have made Abraham rich; 
save only that which the young men have 
eaten, and the portion belonging to the men 
who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, 
let them take their portion." 
' Here were justice and generosity both. Abra- 
ham had a right to give up his own claims ; 
but he had no right to give up those of Aner, 
Eshcol, and Mamre. He, however, sets them 
an example, and then leaves them to do as 
they please. 



3S 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



CHAPTER V. 

God appears again to Abraham, to comfort him and re- 
new his promise to him — Abraham makes a request — God 
promises to grant his request, and to make a solemn cove- 
nant with him — He informs Abraham that his descendants 
must pass through a great trial before they are put in pos- 
session of t^e promised land of Canaan — Abraham has a 
vision. 

After Abraham's return from pursuing 
the king of Persia, he seems to have fallen 
into distress of mind ; we do not know on 
what account, but God knew, and like a ten- 
der father he pitied his faithful servant. While 
Abraham was sorrowful and cast down, God 
appeared to him, and said, "Fear not, Abra- 
ham, for I am thy shield and thy exceeding 
great reward.'' This was very comforting 
language. Abraham was a stranger in a 
strange land ; the people around him were 
generally idolaters : he could neither associate 
with them nor trust to their justice or friend- 
ship. 

His riches might tempt them to fall upon 
him and plunder his possessions, or even take 
his hfe ; but God assures him he will be his 
shield, to defend him from all harm ; he may 
lie down and sleep as quietly in his tent as 
though he was surrounded and defended by 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



37 



ten thousand armed men. Such a promise 
is better security than a wall of fire ; but God 
promises not only to be his defence, but his 

EXCEEDING GREAT REWARD. He wiU lead 

him safely through his pilgrimage on earth, 
and up to his final rest in heaven. 

This promise encouraged Abraham to speak 
to God of matters about which he felt much 
anxiety. As yet he had no child to bear his 
name or inherit his property, " And Abra- 
ham said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, 
seeing I go childless, and the steward of my 
house is this Eliezer of Damascus ; behold, 
to me thou hast given no child, and lo, one 
born in my house is my heir." God replied 
that Eliezer should not be his heir, but he 
would give him a son. To encourage him still 
farther, God told him to look abroad upon the 
heavens. As Abraham gazed upon the innu- 
merable multitude of stars that sparkled in the 
vaulted sky, he asked him if he could num- 
ber them, and then told him his descendants 
should be, like these stars, a countless host. 

The patriarch's fears were all removed ; he 
believed God's promise, and not only that his 
posterity should be very numerous, but that 
the Saviour of the world should come among 



38 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



theiTij as God had alieady promised. The 
Bible informs us that "Abraham believed 
Ood, and it was counted unto him for right- 
eousness." This passage means a great 
deal; it means that Abraham joyfully trusted 
in God's promise of blessing all the na- 
tions OF THE EARTH IN HIM. He believed 
God ; he looked forward to a coming Saviour ; 
he trusted in that Saviour, and felt his heart 
warming with heavenly love. He could say — 

" Things that are not, as though they were, 
Thou callest by their name ; 
Present with thee the future are, 
With thee, the great I am." 

" The thing surpasses all my though 
But faithful is my Lord ; 
Through unbelief I stagger not, 
For God hath spoke the word.'* 

We may suppose that when God made 
such promises as that "which he had now 
been making to Abraham, he usually gave 
some sign to accompany the promise ; this led 
Abraham to ask by what sign he should 
know that he was to inhabit the land of Ca- 
naan. To confirm his faith fully, and remove 
every shadow of doubt, God was pleased to 
enter into a solemn covenant with him. He 
said unto Abraham, " Take me a heifer of 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM, 



39 



three years old, and a goat of three years old,, 
and a ram of three years old, and a turtle 
dove, and a young pigeon." Abraham took 
these creatures, and slew and dressed them: 
he then, according to the ancient method of 
making covenants, divided the beasts, and 
placed the halves at a little distance from each 
other : the birds he did not divide. This was 
done in the daytime ; and Abraham carefully 
waited by his sacrifice for the appearing of 
the Lord. The birds (vultures probably) came 
down to ahght upon the flesh ; but the patri- 
arch drove them away. As the sun went 
down, and the shadows of evening gathered 
around, Abraham fell into a deep sleep, ^^and 
so a horror of great darkness fell upon 
himP The meaning of this was soon ex- 
plained ; it represented the dark and gloomy 
afflictions which Abraham's descendants were 
to suffer before they came into possession of 
the land of Canaan. God told him that they 
were to be strangers in a strange land, namely, 
in Egypt, and were to serve the Egyptians 
through a long and grievous bondage; but 
said he, " That nation whom they shall serve 
will I judge, and afterward they shall come 
out with great substance; and thou shalt go to 



40 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



thy fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a 
good old age ; but in the fourth generation 
they shall come hither again, and inherit this 
land." He also went on to say they could not 
have it at present, for the people had not filled 
up the cup of their iniquities, and he would 
spare them until they had. 

Then the Lord manifested himself to Abra- 
ham : the patriarch saw as it were a smoking 
furnace and a burning lamp passing between 
the divided parts of the sacrifice. Probably 
the smoking furnace was intended to repre- 
sent the sore afl[iictions of Abraham's descend- 
ants, and the burning lamp to signify, that 
in the midst of the darkest times God would 
be a light to them. They passed between 
the divided portions of the sacrifice as a token 
that he now estabUshed his covenant with 
Abraham. 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



41 



CHAPTER VI. 

By Sarah's advice, Abraham marries a second wife, 
named Hagar — Hagar becomes haughty and insolent-— 
Sarah's peace- is disturbed, and she allows herself to be- 
come angry — Hagar flees toward Egypt — The angel of the 
Lord appears to her, and tells her to return — remarkable 
prediction— A son born — God again appears to Abraham 
— His name changed — A promise. 

Abraham was now about eighty-five years 
old, and Sarah about seventy-five ; they had 
been in Canaan ten years, and all this time 
had passed since God made the promise, that 
Abraham should be the father of a numerous 
people. But still they had no child. This was 
a cause of anxiety and affliction to them, and 
they knew not how the promise was to be 
fulfilled. As God had simply promised a son 
to Abraham, Sarah concluded he might pos- 
sibly intend that Abraham should marry a 
second wife. 

She accordingly advised him to marry her 
handmaid Hagar, hoping to become a mother 
by adoption. Through his great anxiety to 
have the promise fulfilled, Abraham unfortu- 
nately consented to his wife's proposal ; and 
Hagar became his secondary, or inferior wife. 
But bofli Abraham and Sarah soon had rea- 
son to repent of this rash step. Finding 



42 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



herself exalted from the rank of a servant to 
that of a wife, Hagar soon became haughty 
and insolent toward her mistress. It was 
hard to bear her ingi*atitude and pride, and 
Sarah became impatient and vexed under it 
When people allow themselves to become 
angry, they often do and say things which 
they find occasion to regret afterward. So 
it was with Sarah on this occasion ; she un- 
reasonably laid the blame of Hagar's inso- 
lence upon Abraham, and censured him for 
the evil which had come upon her through 
her own imprudence. Abraham had always ^ 
lived very happily with Sarah ; he had been 
one of the kindest of husbands, and she one 
of the best of wives. 

*' His house she enter'd, there to be a light 
Shining within when all without was night ; 
Like guardian angel o'er his life presiding, 
Doubling his pleasure, and his cares dividing." 

The patriarch was altogether unwilling 
that any thing should now mar their happi- 
ness, after so many years of peace. He accord- 
ingly gave Hagar up to Sarah to correct as 
she saw best. 

Sarah was too much irritated by Hagar's 
ingratitude and insolence to pursue proper 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



43 



course ; and we are told, she " dealt hardly 
with her?'' The haughty spirit of Hagar was 
provoked by this severe treatment : she left 
the house of Abraham, and fled toward Egypt, 
her native country. At length she became 
wearied with her toilsome journey, and sat 
down by a well to rest. Here the angel of 
the Lord appeared to her : to let her know 
that she was known, he called her by name, 
and said, "Hagar, Sarah's maid, whence 
camest thou, and whither wilt thou go?" She 
answered, "I flee from the face of my mis- 
tress, Sarah." He replied, " Return unto thy 
mistress, and submit thyself to her hands." 
He then went on to promise her, that she 
should have a son, who would be the father 
of a very numerous people. She was com- 
manded to call him Ishmael. " He will be," 
said the angel of the Lord, " a wild man: his 
hand will be against every man, and every 
man's hand against him ; and he shall dwell 
in the presence of his brethren." 

Hagar was filled with solemn awe ; and 
deeply humbled under a sense of the divine 
goodness. " And she called the name of the 
Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest 
me: for she said, Have I also here looked 



44 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



after him that seeth me." She then called 
the well where she had sat, Beer-lahai-roi : 
a well of the Living One^ who seeth me, 

Hagar now returned to her mistress ; and, 
we may hope, in- a better spirit than when 
she started for Egypt. 

It was not long after her return before she 
bore Abraham a son; who, according to 
God's command, was called IshmaeL Per- 
haps the patriarch thought this was the child 
of promise; but if so, he was mistaken. Ish- 
mael was indeed to be the father of a numer- 
ous people ; but they proved to be a very dif- 
ferent people from those whom God intended 
should be his covenant people ; and among 
whom the Saviour was to come. Ishmael 
himself was far from proving a comfort to 
his father. He became the occasion of much 
unhappiness in Abraham's family. 

Thirteen long years passed away, after the 
birth of Ishmael ; and Abraham reached his 
ninety-ninth year: Sarah was eighty-nine; 
and still they waited the fulfilment of God's 
promise. No son had been given but Ish- 
mael; and he was not the child meant by 
the promise. Abraham's faith and patience 
had been put to a severe trial; but they did not 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 4^ 

fail. He still believed God would be faithful 
to his word : and he did not believe in vain. 
In this memorable year God appeared to him 
a fifth time ; and addressed him in the most 
encouraging language : " I am the Almighty 
God walk before me, and be thou perfect: 
and I will make my covenant, between thee 
and me; and I wiU multiply thee exceed- 
ingly." Abraham was filled with reverence 
and love, and fell on his face before the Lord. 

The patriarch had been called Abram up 
to this time ; but God now changed his name 
to Abraham. Abram signifies a high fa- 
then and Abraham is supposed to mean 
father of a great multitude. The name of 
his wife was also changed : she had before 
been called Sarai, a princess ; but was now 
named Sarah, which is- supposed to mean, 
princess of multitudes ;* because, as God 
promised, she should have a son ; and should 
be "the mother of nations and kings." "And 
God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a 
son indeed; and thou shalt call his name 
Isaac : and I will establish my covenant with 
him, for an everlasting covenant ; and with 
his seed after him." 

♦ S«e Coke. 



46 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



God now directed that Abraham should 
dedicate his family to him ; and entered into 
covenant with him, by a religious ordinance, 
called the ordinance of circumcision. 

Abraham was filled with delight; and a^ain 
fell upon his face, to give expression to his 
joy. As Ishmael was now excluded from 
being the child of promise, the feelings of 
the father, feelings of tenderness, rose up in 
the patriarch's heart. He had trained up this 
son with tender care. He had watched his 
expanding intellect and growing form with 
interest and delight ; and he was now anx- 
ious to receive some promise in his favour. 
^^'O that Ishmael might Uve before thee !" said 
he. God replied, "As for Ishmael, I have 
heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and 
will make him fruitful, and will multiply him 
exceedingly. His sons shall be twelve princes, 
and I will make him a great nation : but my 
covenant will I establish with Isaac, which 
Sarah shall bare unto thee." 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



47 



CHAPTER VII. 

Three strangers approach the tent of Abraham — The 
patriarch prepares a feast for them^ — -Beautiful picture of 
the hospitahty of early times — High and unexpected hon- 
our — Description of the valley of the Jordan — ^ Wickedness 
of Sodom, and the other cities of the plain — God makes 
known to Abraham his fearful determination concerning 
them — ^Abraham's affecting plea — Kindness and conde- 
scension of God — The righteous a great blessing to their 
neighbors — Kind address to the reader. 

. Abraham was still living at his favourite 
spot, the oak grove, near Hebron. The green 
branches v^ere clothed in their summer robes, 
and formed a shady bower over the patriarch's 
tent. As he one day sat in the door of his 
tent, looking out on the beauties of nature 
around him, he saw three strangers approach- 
ing his quiet residence. He at once arose, 
and went out to meet them, and invited them 
to share the hospitality of his house. He 
seems to have been particularly struck with 
the appearance of one of them ; and turning to 
him, he said, " My Lord, if now I have found 
favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, 
from thy servant. Let a little water, I pray 
you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest 
yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a 
morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts : 



4S LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 

after that ye shall pass on, for therefore are ye 
come to your servant." 

There is something really beautiful in this 
picture of patriarchal hospitaUty. In those 
ancient times shoes such as ours were not in 
use. The foot was protected only by sandals^ 
or soles^ which were fastened round the foot 
with straps : water for the feet was therefore a 
great refreshment in so warm a country at 
the end of a day's journey ; and this is the first 
thing that Abraham proposes. The second 
comfort necessary to a weary traveller was 
rest in the shade. The patriarch accordingly 
proposes that they should rest themselves 
under the tree. 

I will fetch a morsel of bread. This was 
the third requisite, and is introduced in its 
proper order, as eating immediately after ex- 
ertion or fatigue is very unwholesome. The 
strong action of the lungs and heart should 
have time to diminish, before any food is re- 
ceived into the stomach : otherwise digestion 
is prevented, and fever in a greater or less de- 
gree produced. 

For therefore are ye come^ says Abraham. 
In those ancient days there were no inns or 
houses for public entertainment ; but travel- 



XIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



49 



lers were kindly entertained by the hospitable 
with whom they met in their journej^s.* 

The three strangers were highly pleased 
with Abraham's kind attentions, and replied 
to his invitation, So do as thou hast said." 

" And Abraham hastened into the tent unto 
Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three 
measures of fine rneal ; knead it and make 
cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran 
unto the herd and fetched a calf, tender and 
good, and gave it unto a young man, and he 
hasted to dress it. And he took butter and 
milk, and the calf which had been dressed, 
and set it before them, and he stood by them 
under the tree, and they did eat." 

God was, during all this time, preparing 
high honour for Abraham. The patriarch 
had supposed that he was only refreshing 
some weary strangers on their journey : but 
he was in reality entertaining messengers 
from the upper world. 

He was not forgetful to entertain strangers ; 
and behold, he had entertained angels una- 
wares. Yes, and he had done more than this; 
for one of the visitants was the glorious Son 
OF God, the very being who was afterward 

* See Dr. A. Clarke. 
4 



50 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



to unite himself \vith a human soul and body, 
and become a Saviour for a guilty world. 

He said to Abraham, " Where is Sarah, 
thy wife?" Abraham replied, "Behold, in 
the tent." He answered, "I will certainly 
return unto thee according to the time of life, 
and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son." Sa- 
rah was at this moment listening at the tent 
door, and b)^ laughing showed that she doubt- 
ed the truth of the promise. The Lord mildly 
reproved her unbelief, and said, " Is any thing 
too hard for the Lord ?" When Sarah saw 
that her unbelief was known, she was alarm- 
ed and confused, and tried to hide her fault 
by denying it, for which she received still far- 
ther reproof. 

The strangers now rose up to depart, and 
went toward Sodom. Abraham went out 
with them, and proceeded a little distance. 
Two of them w^ent forw^ard, while the Lord 
remained and talked with Abraham. 



I have already spoken of Sodom and the ad- 
joining cities. They stood in one of the most 
delightful vales in the whole world. It enjoyed 
a fine healthy climate. The soil was inex- 
haustibly fertile, and beautiful streams of run- 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



61 



ning water wound their way through it in 
different places. This lovely vale abounded 
in grain, pasturage, fruits, and flowers. It is 
compared in Scripture to the garden of Eden 
for beauty and fertility. The people who Hved 
in this lovely spot had every thing around 
them to call forth their gratitude to God. 

They could not look from their windows, 
or ascend to the roof of their houses,* or walk 
abroad in their fields, or sit down under their 
shady bowers, without beholding the clearest 
proofs of God's goodness. Had they only been 
as grateful as God was good, they would have 
seen enough to call forth their praise in every 
tint of beauty which he had painted upon ' 
the flov^^ers; in every cluster of fruit with 
w^hich he had loaded their vines ; in every 
stream that went murmuring through their 
fields, and in every blade of grass that sprung 
up beneath their feet. But the people who 
lived in this delightful valley were far fiom 
being a pious or grateful people. On the con- 
trary, they were some of the vilest sinners 
upon whom the sun ever rose. They lived as 
though the sun only shone to light them to 

* The houses were made with flat roofs, on which the 
people walked, and sometimes slept. 



52 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



deeds of wickedness, or as though they thought 
God caused the rains to descend, and the earth 
to bring forth fruit, only to feed the most ab- 
ject wretches. Instead of the voice of prayer 
and praise, the song of the drunkard, and the 
shouts of revehy were heard throughout the 
vale. Their sins rose up to heaven as a dark 
and fearful cloud, and called for some dread- 
ful judgment. Finally, God determined to 
make an awful example of them before all 
the world, and he was on his way to desti'oy 
them when he appeared to Abraham. 

As the two angels were about to go forward 
toward Sodom, the Lord said, Shall I hide 
from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing 
that Abraham shall surely become a great 
and mighty nation, and all the nations of the 
earth shall be blessed in him ? For I know 
him, that he will command his children and 
his household after him, and they shall keep 
the way of the Lord to do justice and judg- 
ment, that the Lord may bring upon Abra- 
ham that which he hath spoken of him." 

What a pleasing testimony God gives to 
the faithfulness of Abraham ! And what a 
blessing it is to have a pious parent, and to be 
brought up in a pious family ! Such a family 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



is a pleasant school of Christian instruction. 
There, in the freshness of the morning and 
in the stillness of the evening, the family Bi- 
ble is read, the songs of praise are sung, and 
the voice of prayer and thanksgiving is heard. 

"Blest is the pious house 

Where zeal and friendship meet ; 
Their songs of praise, their mingled vows, 
Make their communion sweet." 

T would rather be the child of a godly 
father and a pious mother than to be born in 
a palace and be an heir to a crown. My dear 
children, if God has given you religious pa- 
rents, who love your souls and are daily pray- 
ing for you, he has given you that which is 
worth more than the wealth of the Indies. 

But I must now go on with the history. 
After God had expressed his approbation of 
Abraham, he went on to tell the patriarch 
what he was about to do. " And the Lord 
said. Because the cry of Sodom is great, and 
because their sin is very grievous, I will go 
down now and see whether they have done 
altogether according to the cry of it which is 
come unto me ; and if not, I will know." 

We must not suppose that God did not 
know what was the condition of Sodom, or 



54 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



that he needed any farther infonnation con- 
cernmg the conduct of its mhabitants. But 
as he was conversing with a man. he conde- 
scended to use such language as men are in 
the habit of using. He also sets an example 
of candour and justice^ that we may learn 
not to judge by report, but inquire into mat- 
ters before w^e make up our minds, or pro- 
nounce sentence upon our fellow beings. 

Abraham knew that his nephew Lot lived 
in Sodom, and he supposed there might be 
some other worshippers of the true God there. 
His tender heart was afflicted at the thought 
of tlieir perishing in the overthrow of the city. 
He accordingly ventured to plead with God 
to spare the city for their sakes. His prayer 
is most beautiful and affecting. ^' And Abra- 
ham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also de- 
stroy the righteous with the wicked ? Perad- 
venture there be fifty rigliteous within the 
city : wilt thou also destroy and not spare the 
place for the fifty lighteous that are therein ? 
That be far from thee to do after this manner, 
to slay the righteous with the wicked ; and that 
the righteous should be as the wicked, that be 
far from thee : Shall not the Judge of all the 
earth do right ?- And the Lord said, If I find 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 55 

I 

in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then 
I will spare all the place for their sakes. And 
Abraham answered and said, Behold now I 
have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, 
which am but dust and ashes : Peradventure 
there shall lack five of the fifty righteous : 
wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five ? 
And he said, If I find there forty and five, I 
will not destroy it. And he spake unto him 
yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall 
be forty found there. And he said I will not 
do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him^ 

0 let not the Lord be angry, and I will 
speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be 
found there. And he said, I will not do it^ if 

1 find thirty there. And he said. Behold now, 
I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord : 
Peradventure there shall be twenty found 
there. And he said, I will not destroy it for 
twenty's sake. And he said, O, let not the 
Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this 
once : Peradventure ten shall be found there. 
And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's 
sake. And the Lord went his way, as soon 
as he had left communing with Abraham : 
and Abraham returned unto his place." 

Abraham now returned to his family, and 



56 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



the Lord pursued his way toward the cities of 
the plain. 

We have in what has been just related a 
Veiy delightful view of the mercy and good- 
ii^ss of God. He riot only permits Abraham 
to plead with him as a man pleads with his 
friend ; but he promises to ^are the cities of 
the plain, if there can be found in them even 
ten righteous persons, which would only 
two to each of the five cities. This shows 
how precious in the sight of the Lord are bis 
saints : 

" But saints are I&vely in bis sight : 
He views his children with delight ; 
He knows their hopes, and marks their fear, 
He looks, and loves his image there." 

We also learn from this account what a 
great blessing the righteous are to the cities and 
countries where they live. Who can tell how 
many judgments are withheld for their sakes : 
or how many blessings are given in answer to 
their prayers ! When the prophet Elijah was as- 
cending to heaven, EUsha, hisfi'iend and com- 
panion, mournfully exclaimed : " My father, 
my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horse- 
men thereof!" He meant by this, that Elijah 
was by his prayers and labours a greater de- 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



67 



fence to Israel than all its horses and chariots, 
and other warlike preparations. So it is with 
the righteous in any nation ; their prayers 
and labours, and holy examplej form a more 
sure defence than whole armies. Little do the 
wicked know what a blessing it is to have 
churches, and Bibles, and holy people among 
them. But, my dear children, the righteous 
cannot benefit the wicked always. The time 
will come when there will be a complete and 
everlasting separation — when it will be said : 
"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; 
and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still ; 
and he that is righteous, let him be righteous 
still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." 
Then the wicked will " go away into everlast- 
ing punishment, but the righteous into life 
eternal." O can you bear the thought of 
living and dying in your sins, and of being 
separated from the good and the holy for ever ! 
Will you not rather turn from your evil ways 
and live ! But if you ever intend to repent, 
and come to Christ for pardon and holiness, 
you must begin now ; you must begin to-day, 
lest death should come and surprise you in 
the midst of your sins, and you be obliged 
to take up the sorrowful lamentation : The 



58 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



harvest is past, the summer is ended, arid 
I am not saved. But now you may come : 
for ^'all things are now ready." The Spi- 
rit and the bi^ide say, Come, And let him 
that heareth, say, Come, And let him that 
is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let 
him take the water of life freely P 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The two angels enter Sodom — Lot is sitting at the gate 
— The gates of ancient cities the places where the courts 
met, and business was transacted — Conduct of the Sodom- 
ites toward the angels — They are smitten with blindness — 
Lot and his family sent out of the city — Fire from heaven 
consumes the cities of the plain— Fate of Lot's wife — Con- 
duct of Lot. 

The angels that had left Abraham went 
on, and arrived at Sodom about the time the 
sun was casting his last rays upon the guilty 
city. As they entered, they found Lot sitting 
by the gate. The gates of ancient cities 
were the places where the courts were held, 
and the public business transacted. Some sup- 
pose Lot might have been one of the magis- 
trates ; and was sitting here to hear complaints 
and try causes. Others suppose, that as he 
knew the wickedness of the place, he went 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



59 



to the gate to meet with any strangers that 
might come, and invite them to his house 
that they might not be abused. 

As these very respectable and pleasing 
strangers entered the gate, Lot rose up and 
bowed to them. He then said, " Behold now, 
my lords, turn in I pray you into your ser- 
vant's house, and tarry all night, and wash 
your feet ; and ye shall rise up early and go 
on your ways." That Lot might have an 
opportunity of manifesting his regard for their 
welfare, they at first objected, alQd spoke of 
passing the night in the street. But he pressed 
them greatly ; and they finally consented to 
accept his hospitality, and entered his house ; 
and he made them a feast. 

They had not been in Lot's house long, be- 
fore the men of the city, even the men of 
Sodom, compassed the house around, both old 
and young," from all parts of the city. It 
seems the news had spread through the city 
of the arrival of these interesting strangers ; 
and this shameless mob had come with the 
intention of abusing them in the most horri- 
ble manner. They cried to Lot, and said : 
" Where are the men that came into thy house 
this night? bring them out unto us." No won- 



60 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



der that the Bible should say, " The people of 
Sodom were sinners exceedingly before the 
Lord." 

Here were people both old and youngs 
and people from every quarter^ gathered to- 
gether for a purpose so abominable as to make 
us blush for human nature. When the youth 
of any place have lost all regard for the aged, 
and do not blush to commit the most abomi- 
nable crimes even in the presence of their 
fathers, it is^ a sure sign of a dreadful state 
of wickedness. But when the aged have 
lost all reverence for themselves, when they 
do not fear to publish their shame to their 
own children, then guilt has reached the 
highest pitch, and such a people are ripe for 
ruin. 

Lot now went out into the midst of these 
wretches in human shape, and tried to reason 
with them. " I pray you, brethren," said he, 
" do not so wickedly." But he found them as 
furious as a troop of wild tigers, and as brutish 
as a herd of swine. He was alarmed and 
confused, and knew not what to do. 

In Eastern countries the rights of hospi- 
tality were deemed most sacred. A man who 
had received strangers under his roof was 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



61 



considered bound to protect them even with 
his life. In his alarm Lot proposed to con- 
ciliate the mob by the offering of his two 
daughters. Some suppose these daughters 
were betrothed or engaged in marriage to 
two of the leaders of the city, and that Lot 
knew the rabble would not dare to accept his 
proposal. But if this were even so, it would 
not excuse him. He was placed in a most 
fearful condition, it is true ; but we should 
never do evil that good may come. The Bible 
no more justifies Lot's proposal, than it justifies 
his first going to live with such a wicked peo- 
ple as the Sodomites. Both were wrong. At 
the same time we see how very anxious he 
was to protect the strangers who had come 
under his roof 

The men of Sodom were deaf alike to the 
voice of reason and of entreaty. They began 
to abuse Lot. " This one fellow," said they, 
"came in to sojourn, and he will needs 
be a judge ; now will we deal worse with 
thee than with them. And they pressed 
hard upon Lot, and came near to break the 
door." 

It was time now for the angels to begin to 
execute their mission. They put forth their 



62 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



hand and pulled Lot into the house, and shut 
the door ; and they smote the men that were 
at the door with blindness, both small and 
great. 

We should suppose this might have alarm- 
ed them, and that they would have given up 
their wicked purpose : but they were not at all 
disposed to do so : they still madly pressed on, 
and groped about, trying to find the door. 

The angels now informed Lot who they 
were, and for what purpose they had come. 
They inquired, " Hast thou here any besides? 
son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, 
and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring 
them out of this place : for we wnll destroy 
this place, because the cry of them is waxen 
great before the face of the Lord; and the 
Lord hath sent* us to destroy it." 

And Lot went out and spake unto his sons- 
in-law, who married, or, as some think, were 
betrothed to his daughters, and said, " Up ; 
get you out of this place : for the Lord will 
destroy this city." 

They heard the warning, but paid no at- 
tention to it ; or rather, they " treated it as a 
ridiculous tale, the creature of Lot's invention, 
or the offspring of his fear." They laughed 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



63 



at his fears, as many now laugh at hell who 
if they do not repent will wail there, and that 
for ever. 

The dreadful ruin was now fast approach- 
ing ; and yet Lot lingered as though he could 
not tear himself from the spot. He had at 
first chosen this place for a residence through 
improper motives ; but God had overruled his 
stay for good. For twenty-three years he had 
been a preacher of righteousness to a most 
ungodly people. In him they had beheld an 
illustrious example of just conduct, benevo- 
lent actions, and genuine piety. He had la- 
boured and suffered for their good, and now 
he could not bear to give them up. " And 
while he lingered, the angels laid hold of his 
hand, and that of his wife and his two daugh- 
ters, the Lord being merciful unto him : and 
they brought him forth, and set him without 
the city." When they were without the gates 
of the city, they said, " Escape for thy life : 
look not behind thee, neither stay thou in 
all the plain ; escape to the mountain, lest 
thou be consumed." Seeing the destruction 
so near, Lot began to fear that it would over- 
take him before he could get to the mountain. 
In this he forgot that God would not give any 



64 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



comniand without also giving time in which 
to perform it. ^' And Lot said, O ! not so, 
my Lord. Behold now, thy servant hath 
found grace in thy sight, and thou hast mag- 
nified thy mercy, which thou hast showed 
unto me in saving my Ufe ; and I cannot es- 
cape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, 
and I die. Behold now, this city is near to 
flee unto, and it is a little one. O ! let me 
escape thither, {is it not a little one ?) and my 
soul shall live. And he said unto him. See, 
I have accepted thee concerning this thing 
also, that I will not overthrow this city, for 
the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, 
escape thither ; for I cannot do any thing till 
thou be come thither : therefore the name of 
the city was called Zoar." 

Just as the sun was rising Lot entered into 
Zoar. No sooner had he gained this place 
of refuge than the storm of God's displeasure 
burst upon the cities of the plain : sulphure- 
ous fires descended like floods from heaven. 
The soil was mixed with an inflammable sub- 
stance called bitumen. The fire-shower from 
heaven kindled these stores of combustibles, 
and wrapped the whole plain in broad sheets 
of Uving flame. The guilty inhabitants were 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



65 



taken by surpriscj and in the midst of their 
crimes. Hope was cut off in a moment. 
Which way soever they fled, they were met 
by consuming flames ; and not one soul es- 
caped the terrific judgment which had over- 
taken their guilty cities. 

You will recollect that Lot and his family 
were commanded to flee for their lives, and 
not to stop or even look back : but Lot's wife 
disobeyed this command. Whether she 
thought of returning to bring away some of 
her property, or whether she was displeased 
with the severity of God ; or whether she 
doubted the word of the angels, we do not 
know ; at all events, she stopped in the plain 
and perished. The Bible says, she became 
a pillar of salt." It is difficult to tell exactly 
what this means. Some suppose that by the 
power of God she was miraculously changed 
into a pillar of rock salt, and still retained the 
human form. Others think she was struck with 
lightning, and encrusted with the sulphuric 
and bituminous matter, which not being after- 
ward exposed to the action of fire, resisted 
the action of the element, and thus became 
permanent. Whatever might have been tha 
manner of her destruction, we at least know 
5 



66 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



the fact. And we know the reason too : 
she disobeyed God: and her punishment is 
recorded in the Bible as a warning to sinners 
down to the end of time of the fearful con- 
sequences of disobedience. 

When Lot saw the awful fate of the cities 
of the plain and the fire still raging*, he fear- 
ed to dwell in Zoar, and rose up and fled to 
the mountain. In this he again fell into an 
error. He should have gone to the mountain 
at first, as the angels directed ; but afler God 
had spared Zoar for his sake, he ought to 
have continued there. But let pity draw a 
friendly veil over his weak faith and the clos- 
ing scene of his life. He was now an old man, 
and bereft of every earthly comfort that could 
cheer his declining years. His property was 
consumed, his wife dead, and, as he supposed, 
his family was for ever broken up and his 
name hkely to perish. The errors that he 
fell into were more through weakness than 
wickedness ; and were doubtless repented of 
and never repeated. He had spent twenty- 
three years in preaching righteousness and 
living righteously in Sodom ; while many 
who have censured him with unsparing se- 
verity never spent twenty-three hours in try- 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 67 

ing to benefit the souls of their fellow men. 
When his motives, and his life as a whole, 
are compared with those of his revilers, he will 
appear in comparison an angel of purity. 
As far as he did intentionally wrong, let 
him be blamed, but no farther. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Abraham goes early in the morning to ascertain the fate 
of the cities of the plain — Description of the place where 
they stood — Abraham removes — Difficulty with the king 
of Gezar — ^An amicable settlement. 

Abraham arose early in the morning, and 
went to the place where he had talked with 
God the day before. This was probably a 
mountain, or piece of elevated ground which 
overlooked the plain below. How eagerly 
did the patriarch ascend to this place, that he 
might learn the fate of the cities of the plain. 
He had often looked from the surrounding 
heights into that valley ; and seen it smiling 
in beauty, and clothed with the richest robes 
of fertility. He now reached the summit of 
the rising ground, and filled with anxiety for 
the fate of Lot, he looked again ! But what 



68 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



a scene did he behold : when, " lo the smoke 
of the country went up as the smoke of a 
furnaceP 

Perhaps, before I go on with the history of 
Abraham, my young friends would like to 
have me tell them something about the pre- 
sent state of the place where the cities of the 
plain once stood. This once beautiful plain 
has long since totally disappeared. It is cover- 
ed by an inland sea, generally said to be sixty 
or seventy miles in length, and eighteen in 
breadth ; though some think it is not more 
than thirty miles long. It is usually called 
the Dead Sea ; and is enclosed on the 'east 
and west by ranges of high mountains. On 
the north it is bounded by the plain of Jeri- 
cho ; from which it receives the waters of the 
river Jordan. 

The water of this lake is clear, but very 
salt and bitter. It is so dense that a person 
may float like a cork upon its surface. Mr. 
Stephens an American traveller who visited 
it says: "When I threw myself upon my 
back, my body was half out of water. I 
could have lain there and read with perfect 
ease. In fact, I could have slept, and it would 
have been a much easier bed than the bushes 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



69 



of Jericho. It was laughable to see one of 
the horses. As soon as his body touched the 
water he was afloat, and turned over on his 
side : he struggled with all his force to pre- 
serve his balance; but the moment he stopped 
moving, he turned over on his side again, and 
almost on his back ; kicking his feet out of 
water and snorting with terror. The worst 
of my bath was, that after it was over, my 
skin was covered with a thick glutinous sub- 
stance which required another washing to get 
rid of ; and after I had wiped myself dry, my 
body burned and smarted, as if it had been 
turned round before a roasting fire. My face 
and ears were incrusted with salt, my hairs 
stood out, each particular hair on end ; and 
my eyes were irritated and inflamed, so that I 
felt the eflTects of it for several days. In spite 
of all this, however, I was revived and refresh- 
ed by my bath, and mounted my horse a new 
man." 

Dr. Shaw says, " Masses of bitumen are 
raised at certain times from the bottom of this 
sea. As soon as they touch the surface, and 
are thereby acted upon by the air, they burst at 
once with great smoke and noise." " On the 
shores of this sea or lake," says Mr. Maun- 



70 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



drell, "we found a black sort of pebbles which 
burned on being held in the blaze of a candle, 
yielding a smoke of a very disagreeable smell ; 
but though they lost in weight by burning, 
they lost nothing in size. The neighbouring 
hills abound with these sulphureous stones ; 
and I saw pieces of them at the convent of 
St. John's which were two feet square, carved 
and poUshed as finely as black marble." It is 
supposed by some that the houses of Sodom, 
and the other cities of the plain, were built 
of these bituminous stones ; and that the 
lightnings from heaven set them on fire when 
G63l overthrew their guilty inhabitants. 

The Dead Sea has no visible outlet, though 
it is supposed the Jordan pours upward of 
six millions of tons into it daily. It is proba- 
ble that it has one or more underground out- 
lets, by which its waters are emptied into the 
Mediterranean Sea. Wilson observes in his 
" Travels in the Holy Land," that " no lan- 
guage of the most eloquent writer can give a 
proper description of that mournful desolation 
which reigns in this devoted region; or ex- 
press that solemn horror which the scene is so 
much calculated to inspire. It is a striking 
monument of the tremendous wrath of God. 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



7i 



A profound silence, awful as death, hangs over 
this lake ; but the sound of its hollow waters 
slowly rolling before the wind, along with 
heavy showers, were even more appalling 
than the desolation of its shores. It is at the 
present moment as Moses describes it in Deut. 
xxix, 23. The acts of the divine vengeance 
which have thrown it into such an awful 
state have been recorded by infinite Wisdom, 
to hold up an everlasting warning to coun- 
tries involved in sin and wickedness.'^ 

Abraham did not continue long in the 
neighbourhood of this desolate place. Per- 
haps he feared that other judgments would 
follow ; or else was so deeply affected by the 
melancholy fate of the ruined cities, that he 
could not bear to remain in sight of the place. 
He removed first to a place between Kadesh 
and Shur ; and afterward fixed his residence 
in Gezar, a city of the PhiUstines. 

Here again Abraham fell into sin through 
fear. Calling his wife his sister, Abimelech 
king of Gezar sent and took her ; and she 
was about to become his wife. It seems that 
Sarah's health and beauty had been preserved 
in an extraordinary manner; and that she 
was still remarkable for her personal charms. 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



Or perhaps, as Abraham was a man of so 
much wealth and consequencej Abijuelech 
might think it would be very good policy to 
gain his friendship by marrying his sister. 

Before Sarah had become the wife of Abim- 
elechj God appeared to him in a fearful dream ; 
and threatened him with death if he did not 
restore to Abraham his wife. Abimelech re- 
plied, " Said he not unto me, She is my sis- 
ter ; and she herself said, He is my brother. 
In the integrity of my heart, and innocency 
of my hands, I have done this." God an- 
swered, " I know that thou didst this in the 
integrity of thy heart, for I also withheld thee 
from sinning against me. Now therefore re- 
store the man his wife ; for he is a prophet, 
and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt 
live." 

Abimelech arose with haste in the morn- 
ing, and sent for Abraham, and said unto him, 
What hast thou done unto us ? and what 
have I offended thee? that thou hast brought 
on me and on my kingdom a great sin. What 
sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?" 
Abraham repUed, " Because I thought surely 
the fear of God is not in this place ; and they 
will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet, in- 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM, 



73 



deed, she is my sister ; she is the daughter of 
my father, but not the daughter of my mo- 
ther : and she became my wife." Abraham 
was altogether riglit about one thing. He 
thought where there was no religion^ there 
was no morality. If the fear of God was 
not in a place, he justly concluded there was 
no regard to justice or mercy : the wisest of 
men in all ages have thought the same. The 
great Roman orator, Cicero, says : " If piety 
toward the Supreme were once taken away, 
there would be an end of all fidelity ; a 
dissolution of the bonds of society, and 
even of justice itself P The patriarch was, 
however, mistaken in forming so bad an 
opinion of Abimelech. 

After Abraham and Abimelech had come 
to an understanding about the difficulty that 
had taken place, and Sarah had been restored 
to her husband, Abimelech made him large 
presents. He also told Abraham to dwell in 
any part of his kingdom where he chose. The 
patriarch accepted his generous offer, and con- 
tinued to reside at Gezar. 



74 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



CHAPTER X, 

The faith of Abraham — We also are to believe — Sarah 
bears Abraham a son — He is solemnly dedicated to God — 
Address to the reader — A feast — Ishmael persecutes Isaac 
— He and his mother are sent away — Distress in the wil- 
derness — Timely relief — Ishmael becomes an archer — He 
marries an Egyptian woman. 

" Faith is the substance of our hopes, 

Unseen by mortal eyes ; 
Faith is the key of prayer that opes 

The treasures of the skies ; 
Faith is the dawn of heavenly light 

That cheers the fainting soul, 
And drives away those clouds of night 

That round her vision roll." 

Abraham had long been called to walk 
by faith. Thirty-five years had passed since 
God promised him a son : and that the Sa- 
viour should come among his descendants. 
During all this time the promise remained 
unfulfilled. But Abraham still believed God: 
and hope, like a cooling fountain in a weary 
land, cheered and refreshed his soul. The 
happy year had now arrived when the long- 
promised child should be given. Sarah bore 
the patriarch a son ; and, as God had com- 
manded, he was named Isaac. This was in 
the year of the world two thousand one hun- 
dred and eight ; and eighteen hundred and 
ninety-six years before the coming of Christ. 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



75 



But the fulfilment of one part of the pro- 
mise was God's pledge. to Abraham that he 
would surely fulfil the other part. In his own 
good time God gave Isaac ; and at just the 
right time he would give the Saviour. The 
birth of Isaac was put oflf thirty-five years 
after the promise was made : and this was 
done to teach Abraham a lesson of faith. Af- 
ter he had learned to trust in God for one 
thing, the same faith would lead him to trust 
in the same God for another. Now his soul 
was to be saved by trusting in the promised 
Saviour. This he did, and God gave him a 
title to heaven. Thus we see it was good for 
him to wait thirty-five years for the fulfilment 
of God's promise, that he might learn this 
lesson of faith. 

You, my dear children, are as much in 
need of faith as was Abraham. Christ pro- 
mises, that if you love and serve him, he will 
one day come and take you to himself. He 
says he will come in his glory, with all the 
holy angels, and that he will sit on the great 
white throne, and that all nations shall be 
gathered before him. Then the sea is to give 
up its dead, and the graves are to open ; and 
small and great are to stand before him. 



76 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



Then the book of his remembrance is to be 
opened, and all are to be judged out of the 
things written in the book. Then he de- 
clares he will welcome the righteous into the 
joy of their Lord ; while the wicked shall go 
away into everlasting punishment. 

All these promises or sayings are to be re- 
ceived by faith. At present we do not see 
them fulfilled. We see no great white throne 
set in the heavens ; and no Judge descending 
with his attendant angels. The graves do 
not now open before us ; nor is the sea giving 
up its dead. We do not yet hear the startling 
sentence of the wicked, Depart, ye cursed. 
Neither do we hear the joyful welcome of the 
righteous, Come, ye blessed. Because these 
things do not now take place, the wicked dis- 
regard them: sometimes they even scoff at 
them, as the sinners of Sodom did at the 
warnings of Lot. But as the fires of heaven 
blazed forth all of a sudden upon that wicked 
city, so surely will impenitent sinners hear 
the voice of the great Judge, appointing 
them their portion w^here there is " weeping 
and wailing^^ for ever. And as the promise 
of God was fulfilled to Abraham, though he 
waited long for it ; so those who beheve and 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM, 



77 



obey God will one day " lift up their heads 
rejoicing, knowing that their redemption draw« 
eth nigh." The gates shall be lifted up, and 
the everlasting doors shall open, and the child 
of glory shall enter in. There he shall not 
need the light of the sun, nor the light of the 
moon; for the Lord God shall be his light 
and his joy, and the days of his mourning 
shall be ended. 

On the eighth day after Isaac's birth, Abra- 
ham dedicated him to God by the ordinance 
of circumcision. The dedicating of a child 
to God is a very important matter. So God 
regarded it ; and expressly commanded that 
all Abraham's sons, and sons' sons, should be 
solemnly dedicated to him in their infancy. 

Baptism is now the ordinance by which 
children are dedicated to God. Perhaps most 
of my young readers have been baptized: this, 
my dear children, is a very solemn matter. 
Your parents gave you up to God in your in- 
fancy ; and thus pledged themselves to train 
you up in his fear and love. They vowed to 
God for you, until you became old enough to 
take these vows upon yourselves. The time 
has come when you are old enough to do 
this. You are now called upon to fulfil these 



78 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



solemn vows: to renounce sin and every 
thing that is displeasing to your Saviour ; and 
to make a solemn dedication of your soul, 
your body, your life, your time, your talents, 
and yourself to God. Will you refuse to 
make that dedication? Will you withhold 
that heart from the Saviour which he gave 
his life to purchase? Will you refuse to love 
Him who loved you even unto death ? Will 
you spend that life in sin which your parents 
solemnly pledged to God in your baptism? 
God forbid that you should be so wicked ! O 
no, methinks I hear you say, " Saviour^ I will 
be thine — 

* Take my poor heart, and let it be 
For ever closed to all but thee.' " 

The joy of Abraham and Sarah was very 
great, and they praised God for the child he 
had given them. When he was probably 
about three years old he was weaned ; and this 
was made a joyful occasion. Abraham made 
a great feast; and smiling faces gathered 
around the festive board. Many rejoiced over 
that child, who was the wonder and the ex- 
pectation of his day. But even this joyful 
day did not pass without interruption; for 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



79 



Sarah saw Ishmaelj the son of Hagar the 
Egyptian, mocking. Probably he pretended, 
that being the oldest son, he was heir to his 
father's estate; and therefore ridiculed the 
feast made in honour of I saac as the heir. St. 
Paul says in the fourth chapter of the Epistle 
to the Galatians, that Ishmael persecuted 
Isaac ; which some suppose means, that he was 
very tyrannical toward him. At all events, 
his conduct was such, that Sarah was unwill- 
ing to have him continue in the family. She 
insisted that he and his mother should be sent 
away. This was very afflictive to Abraham : 
he loved Ishmael with very tender affection, 
and knew not how to be separated from him. 

But God saw what sort of people the de- 
scendants of Ishmael would be ; and did not 
wish them to have any connection with those 
of Isaac. Ishmael was to be the father of a 
race of bold, roving, and warlike men; while 
Isaac's children would be a peaceable pastoral 
race, among whom the true religion would 
be preserved. For this reason, God said to 
Abraham, " Let it not be grievous in thy sight 
because of the lad, and because of thy bond- 
woman ; in all that Sarah hath said unto 
thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac 



80 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



shall thy seed be called. And also of the son 
of the bond-woman will I make a nation, be- 
cause he is thy seed." 

The patriarch was deeply distressed to be 
obliged to send away his son ; but he knew 
that whatever God commanded was right. 
So he arose early in the morning, and gave 
Hagar a goat-skin bottle filled with water, 
and provisions for her journey, and sent her 
and her son away. Ishmael was at this time 
about seventeen years old. 

They appear to have lost their way ; and 
we are told that they " wandered in the wil- 
derness of Beersheba." Here their water 
failed, and Ishmael became exhausted: his 
mother placed him under a shade to screen 
him from the burning heat, and went a 
little distance, that she might escape the pain 
of seeing him die. While she sat here and 
wept, God sent her relief. The angel of God 
called to Hagar, and said, " What aileth thee, 
Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the 
voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up 
the lad, and hold him in thine hand, for I will 
make him a great nation." God then show- 
ed her a well which was not far off, and she 
filled her bottb and gave Ishmael to drink, 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 81 

and he revived. They afterward fixed their 
residence in the wilderness of Paran. This 
is supposed to have been the region of country 
about mount Sinai. It is better watered and 
more fertile than any part of the country 
around it. Here Ishmael became an archer. 
With his bow and arrows he procured food for 
himself and his mother. When he arrived 
at a suitable age, his mother sought a wife 
for him in Egypt, her own native country. 
He continued, however, to live in the wilder- 
ness of Paran, and raised a family of twelve 
sons, who became chiefs of their famiUes or 
tribes. 

6 



82 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



CHAPTER XI. 

The king of Gerar makes a covenant of friendship with 
Abraham — The happy situation of the patriarch — A cloud 
comes oves his sunny sky-- Journey to Moriah — Affect- 
ing scene — Strength of Abraham's faith — A son worthy 
of such a father — The angel of God appears for Isaac'p 
deliverance, just as he is about to be sacrificed — The jour- 
ney home — An instructive lesson. 

" Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of 

the ungodly, 
Nor standeth in the way of sinners ; 
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornfuL 
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 
And in his law doth he meditate day and night : 
And he shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of 

water, 

That bringeth forth his fruit in his season. 

His leaf also shall not wither, 

And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." 

This is a pleasing picture of a godly man. 
Abraham was such a man, and the picture 
suits him most admirably. His friend, the 
king of Gerar, saw that Abraham was blessed 
of the Lord, and was anxious to make a cove- 
nant of perpetual friendship with him. He 
came to the patriarch, accompanied by Phi- 
chol, his chief captain, and said, Gpd is with 
thee in all that thou doest. Now, therefore, 
sware unto me here by God, that thou wilt 
not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, 
nor with my son's son ; but according to the 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



83 



kindness that I have done unto thee, thou 
shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein 
thou hast sojourned." 

Abraham consented to make this covenant 
of friendship with Abimelech : but there was 
one difficulty to be settled first. The servants 
of Abimelech had violently taken away one 
of the wells which Abraham had digged for 
the watering of his cattle. In some parts of 
Canaan, springs and brooks were scarce. The 
weather was very warm, and much water was 
necessary for the thirsty cattle. At the same 
time, to prepare suitable wells required con- 
.siderable labour. Such wells were of course 
valuable. Abimelech declared his entire in- 
nocence concerning the well. His servants 
had seized upon it without his permission or 
knowledge. The well was restored to Abra- 
ham, and the king made a solemn league of 
friendship ; after which they parted in peace. 

Blest are the sons of peace, 

Whose hearts and hopes are one ; 
Whose kind designs to serve and please 

Through all their actions run." 

The next thing that Abraham did was to 
plant a grove, probably of oak trees. This 
seems to have been done chiefly for the pur- 



84 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM 



poses of worship. The groves were God's 
first temples. Here God was worshipped in 
the midst of nature's own loveliness. But in 
after ages, these groves were corrupted to idol- 
atrous purposes, and then God strictly forbade 
them ; but while they were used only for a 
pure worship, they were agreeable places for 
the pleasing exercises of devotion. It is said 
that there in the grove which he had planted, 
Abraham called on the name of the Lord, 
the everlasting God. 

Abraham had now a son, and one whom 
he had reason to love most tenderly. He was 
not only the child of his beloved Sarah, but- 
unlike other children, he had been promised 
by God long before he was born. Thirty-five 
years Abraham had waited for him. Now he 
had been given, and the patriarch justly look- 
ed upon him as a precious gift from Heaven. 
With what interest did he contemplate his 
growing form and expanding mind ! 

** Strong was affection, ere the infant eye 
Could look Tegard, or brighten in reply ; 
But when the cherub lip had learn'd to claim 
A father's ear by that endearing name, 
Soon as the playful innocent could prove 
A tear of pity, or a smile of love, 
Or conn'd his murmuring task beneath his care, 
Or lisp'd with holy look his evening prayer, 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



85 



Or gazing, mutely pensive, sat to hear 
The hymn of evening warbled in his ear ; 
How fondly look'd admiring hope the while 
At every artless tear, and every smile ! 
How glow'd the joyous parents to descry 
A guileless bosom true to sympathy." 

It was with him indeed a 

" Delightful task, to rear the tender thought, 
And teach the young idea how to shoot." . 

If Iseiac was at any time sick, the father 
and mother were filled with tender anxiety. 
And when he recovered, when the rose of 
health bloomed again upon his cheek, and 
his eye was once more bright, how did they 
rejoice ! In the mean time the lad "increased 
in wisdom and stature, and in favour with 
God and man." Abraham led him forth into 
the shady groves, and beside the fountains of 
water ; and he talked to him about that great 
and good Being who had been his father's 
Protector and Guide all his life long. Isaac 
was a pleasant child. He was mild and 
thoughtful, very different from his bold and 
Idaring brother Ishmael. 

Pleasantly and joyfully did the years pass 
away until Isaac was no longer a child, but a 
man and a companion. Now he could con- 
verse with his pious parents on the works and 



86 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



ways of God : now he had learned the in- 
teresting history of his father's hfe, and that 
he was himself the child of promise. Blessed 
with such a son^ and rich in both spiritual 
and temporal mercies, the sun of Abraham's 
life seemed quietly declining in a sky perfectly 
cloudless. He had passed through the more 
busy scenes of life*: and a life, too, of much 
labour, both of body a*d mind. He had now 
come to that period when nature calls for re- 
pose, and through the blessing of God he had 
reason to expect it. Isaac was old enough to 
manage his property : he was as amiable as 
wise, and as good as a father could desire : 
and now what had Abraham to do, but to 
wait quietly for the call of God to depart to 
his rest in heaven ! While all things are calm 
and delightful around him ; and while hfe is 
gUding on like the gentle flow of a peaceful 
rivulet, the patriarch hears a voice calhng, 
"Abraham!" It is the well known voice of 
that blessed Being who has so often spoken 
to him before ; and he obediently answers, 
" Behold, here I am." The voice replies, 
" Take now thy son." By this time the pa- 
triarch is all attention. The voice proceeds — 
" Thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest." 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



87 



This is beautiful language; how tenderly 
does it describe the feelings of one of the 
kindest of fathers for one of the best of sons. 
Such language is calculated to awaken the 
highest expectations ; and Abraham is ready- 
to inquire what new promise, what new token 
of divine love to this beloved son. But he 
waits to hear the conclusion of an address 
which had begun with so much promise. This 
is the conclusion, " and get thee into the 
land of Moriahj and offer him up there 
for a burnt-offering upon one of the moun- 
tains that I will tell thee ofP 

What, offer up Isaac ! the mild, affection- 
ate, obedient Isaac ; the child of his old age ; 
the son of his beloved Sarah ; the very child 
promised so long, and so often by God ; and 
offer him up as a burnt sacrifice ! How 
could Abraham do this ? Why should God 
require it ? And how would the patriarch an- 
swer for such an act to a wife and mother? 
Can his faith and obedience endure such a 
trial? Will he obey? Yes, he will. It is 
God that commands, and that is enough. 

"And Abraham rose up early the next 
morning, and saddled his ass, and took two 
of his young men with him, and Isaac his 



88 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



son : and clave the wood for a bui'nt offeiing/' 
and journeyed toward the mount of which 
God had spoken. The place was distant ; 
and it was not until the third day that the 
appointed mountain appeared in sight. When 
he beheld the fatal spot, did not nature strug- 
gle with faithj and his heart palpitate with 
strong emotion ? Did not all the feelings of 
the father rise up within him^ and plead 
against proceeding any farther? But faith 
conquers, and they proceed. At length they 
find themselves at the foot of the mountain. 
Here Abraham takes the wood from the beast, 
and lays it upon the shoulder of Isaac. They 
leave the two servants, and begin to ascend. 
And now comes a trial more severe than aH 
the rest. In the simplicity of his heart, Isaac 
begins to inquire, " My father ; and he said, 
Here am I, my son : and Isaac saidy Behold 
the fire and the wood ; but where is the lamb 
for a burnt offering?" Could anything be 
more tender than this? Could a dagger have 
pierced deeper into the patriarch's heart than 
these artless words? "The heart that does 
not feel this sentence is lost to sensibility. 
Every attempt to illustrate or enforce it would 
be as idle as an attempt to perfume the rose ; 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



89 



or paint the tulip into richer tints ; or to bur- 
nish the sun into a brighter lustre." Abraham 
replied, " My son, God will provide himself a 
lamb for a burnt offering." 

After many weary steps, they at last find 
themselves at the place which God had point- 
ed out. The secret must now be disclosed to 
Isaac. The sacrifice is not that of a gentle 
lamb, which can make no resistance, nor of a 
child ignorant of its situation. It is the sacri- 
fice of a young and vigorous man, who, if not 
by entreaty, yet by speed or force, is able to 
deliver himself. 

The sacred history is silent concerning the 
language which Abraham used in disclosing 
the. secret which had so long struggled in his 
breast. And it is equally silent about the 
reply which Isaac made to such a startling 
disclosure. But we have no reason to doubt 
but that the son was worthy of the father ; 
and that Isaac submitted as readily to be of- 
fered as Abraham did to offer him. We do 
not hear one word about his arguing, entreat- 
ing, or resisting. 

The altar is now built, Isaac is bound and 
laid upon it, and the fire is ready to light the 
pile. " And now, behold a sight from which 



90 LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 

liature shrinks back, and stands confounded ; 
a father hfting up his hand, armed with a 
deadly weapon, to slay his only son ! But 
hark ! — a voice — it is the same well known 
voice of God, calUng, ' Abraham, Abraham !' 
The patriarch replies, ' Here am I.' Yes, 
indeed, there he was, performing one of the 
highest acts of obedience by which man ever 
showed his love to his God. The voice goes 
on : 'Lai/ not thine hand upon the lad^ nei- 
ther do thou any thing unto him : for now 
I know that thou fear est God, seeing thou 
hast 7iot withheld thy son, thine only son 
from me? O joyful tidings ! Faith has tri- 
umphed, God approves, and Isaac lives ; hves 
to be doubly dear to his father, and his father's 
God." 

Abraham now turned: and behold, near 
him there w^as a ram, caught in a thicket by 
his horns : And Abraham w'ent, and took 
the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offer- 
ing, instead of his son.*' 

And Abraham called the name of that 
place Jehovah-jireh, which means, The Lord 
shall be seen, 

^* And the angel of the Lord called unto 
Abraham out of heaven the second time, and 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



said, By myself have I sworiij saith the Lord^ 
that because thou hast done this thing, and 
hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, 
that in blessing I will bless thee ; and in mul- 
tiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars 
of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon 
the sea shore : and thy seed shall possess the 
gate of his enemies : and in thy seed shall 
all the nations of the earth he blessed^ 

The patriarch and his son now descended 
from the mount to return home. With what 
feelings they descended we can better ima- 
gine than describe. Was not their journey 
home a most joyful one? Did ever the sun 
appear to shine more beautifully, or the moun- 
tains and valleys, the streams, the birds, and 
the flowers appear more lovely ? When they 
encamped for the night, and the starry hea- 
vens shed down their soft light upon them, 
how sweet w^as the sound of their evening 
prayer ! And when they arrived at Beer-she- 
ba and disclosed the wonderful story to Sarah, 
what tears of joy were shed ; and how were 
their hearts melted with divine love ! 

I have now, my dear children, gone through 
with the history of this transaction : and I 
know you will agree with me in thinking it 



92 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



to be among the most interesting events that 
ever did, or could take place. But I do not 
think you are satisfied with what has been 
said. You want to know more about it : you 
want to know if God has condescended in 
any way to let us see any of the reasons for 
such an unusual command as that which he 
gave to Abraham. Well now, my dear young 
friends, I shall endeavour to explain some of 
these reasons to you. But I must first remind 
you, that to understand reasons, requires ef- 
fort of the mind. Now, if you ask for rea- 
sons^ you must try to reason yourselves. In 
the first place^ then^ this was a trial of 
Abraham! s love to God. You know, if we 
love God at all, we must love him supremely. 
We must love him more than any other ob- 
ject or being ; and more than all other objects 
and beings together. The Saviour said, ^' If 
any man love father or mother, brother or 
sister, more than me, he is not worthy of 
me." You see that this is reasonable. There 
are, indeed, two of the strongest reasons in 
the icorldfor it. In the first place, no being 
is so lovely as God. There is every thing 
glorious^ perfect^ and adorable in him. Do 
we admire wisdom? God is infinitely wise. 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



93 



Do we admire power? God is all powerful. 
Do we admire holiness ? God is the fountain 
and perfection of holiness : " Holy, holy, holy, 
is the Lord God Almighty." Do we admire 
goodness ? God is like an ocean of goodness. 

" His glories blaze all nature round, 
And strike the wondering sight, 
Through skies, and seas, and solid ground, 
With awe, and deep delight." 

Thus, you see, to love God is to love perfec- 
tion itself; and to refuse to love him would be to 
refuse our love to the very fountain of loveliness. 

In the second place, we are to love God 
" because he first loved us." We ought to 
love him, because he is the author of our 
being. He made our curious and wonderful 
bodies, and our still more wonderful souls. 
He made this beautiful world in which we 
live, and fitted it up for our residence. We 
see his goodness in the light that shines upon 
us, in the food we eat, in the raiment we put 
on. We see it in the air we breathe, and in 
the health we enjoy. 

" Thou art, 0 God, the light and life 
Of all this wondrous world we see : 
Its glow by day, its smile by night. 

Are but reflections caught from thee. 
Where'er we turn thy glories shine, 
And all things bright and fair are thine." 



94 



LITE OF ABRAHAM. 



** When youthful spring around us breathes. 
Thy Spirit warms her fragrant sigh ; 
And every flower the summer wreathes, 

Is born beneath thy kindling eye. 
Where'er we turn, thy glories shine, 
And all things fair and bright are thine." 

But if in all these things we behold the 
goodness of our heavenly Father, how much 
more clearly do we see it in his mercy to us, 
as poor perishing guilty sinners. 

*' Here the mild glories of his grace 
Our softer passions move j 
Pity divine, in Jesus' face, 
We see, adore, and love." 

I hope, my dear children, you have followed 
me attentively thus far. I have been endea- 
vouring to show you that it is reasonable to 
love God supremely. It is also reasonable for 
our good that our love should be tried and 
"proved. Now this is just what God did to 
Abraham. The Bible says he tempted Abra- 
ham, or rather, as it should more properly 
read, he tried or proved him. Perhaps the 
patriarch was in danger of giving that affec- 
tion to Isaac which was due to God only. If 
we love any thing, or any person so well as 
to let our affections cool toward God, or think 
of them when we should think of him, we 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



95 



are doing wrong ; and are in great danger. 
It is hard on this account to bear prosperity. 

" The fondness of a creature's love, 
How strong it strikes the sense." 

For this reason God might call Abraham 
to give up Isaac. And the patriarch did 
really and truly give him up, as much as 
though he had actually died : and this, while 
it tried Abraham's love to God, increased it 
also. He came forth out of the trial with his 
affections more elevated and pure, and his 
soul more dead to the world, and more alive 
to God. 

In the second place^ it was a very profit- 
able trial to the patriarchs faith. We 
need that faith in God which will enable us to 
trust in him in the darkest times ; a faith that 
never fails, and never even wavers. Such a 
faith we are not likely to have without pass- 
ing through a course of trial and discipline. 
A smooth sea never made a skilful naviga- 
tor. The skilful mariner is one who has 
been nursed, as it were, on the bosom of the 
storm ; one who has been tutored on the tops 
of the tempest-tossed waves. So the man of 
strong faith is generally one who has been 



96 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



proved in the midst of trials and labours. 
Thus Abraham was tried. First he is called 
to leave his country, and go out he knows not 
where. Then he is tried by the faminej and 
thirty-five years he waits for God's promise to 
be fulfilled. Finally, when it is fulfilled, he 
is called to endure a trial more severe than all 
the rest — to give Isaac back to God. In this 
way God perfected his faith. 

There is one thing my dear children, par- 
ticularly worthy of our attention. Though 
the patriarch expected that Isaac would be 
slain, and his body consumed as a burnt of- 
fering, yet he did not expect God's promise 
of making him the father of a great nation 
would fail. He fully calculated, that though 
his body should be consumed, yet that God 
would raise him up, even from his ashes. We 
know this from two facts. First, St. Paul 
says, " Abraham^ when he was tried, offered 
up Isaac — accounting, that God loas able 
to raise him up, even from the deadP 
Secondly, When he left the two young men 
at the foot of the mountain, he said to them, 
" / and the lad loill go and come againP 

Happy the person who has such a faith as 
that of Abraham ! 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. * 97 

** His son the father offer'd up, 
Son of his age, his only son ; 
Object of all his joy and hope, 

And less beloved than God alone,'* 

** O for a faith like this, that we 

The bright example may pursue ; 
May gladly give up all to Thee, 

To whom our more than all is due." 

I have one more reason to give you, my 
dear children, why, as I suppose, God com- 
manded Abraham to offer up Isaac. You 
will remember that he had repeatedly pro- 
mised that the patriarch should be the father 
of the promised Saviour; that this Saviour 
should come among his descendants; and 
that thus all the nations of the earth should 
be blessed in him. Now it seems that Abra- 
ham was very anxious to know how the re- 
demption of mankind would be effected. He 
wanted to know in what way God would 
accomplish this great work. The clearest 
way in which God could make this known, 
would be by significant action. He accord- 
ingly chooses to act out^ as it were, the whole 
scene of the Saviour's sufferings and death 
before Abraham. 

First, he sends Abraham to the land of 
Moriah, to one of the mountains which he 
will show him. This is supposed to Jhave 
7 



^08 • LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 

been the very mount Calvary v^rhere the Sa- 
viour was crucified. Abraham was probably 
taught that this was the place, and for that 
reason he called the mount Jehovah-jirehj 
the Lord shall he seen: that is, on this 
mount he shall be seen ; here the Saviour 
shall make his appearance. 

Secondly, In this transaction Isaac appears 
as a victim. Was he an innoceiit yioXim'] 
So was the Saviour. He was " holy, harm- 
less, undefiled, and separate from sinners." 
Was Isaac a mild^ amiable, and lovely vic- 
tim? The Saviour was infinitely more 
amiable and lovely. Was Isaac a voluntary 
victim, one that fully consented to suffer? 
So was Jesus. When it was inquired. Who 
will go to redeem a fallen world? he repUed, 

Lo I come— I delight to do thy will, O God." 
Was Isaac the child of prophecy and pro- 
mise 1 Jesus was heralded into the world by 
a long line of predictions and promises. Was 
Isaac the joy and delight of his father ? 
Jesus w^as God's beloved Son, in whom he 
was well pleased. Did it manifest great love 
in God to give up such a son as Isaac ? How 
great was the love of God to the world, who 
so loved it as to give his only begotten Son ? 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



99 



God had tens of thousandsj who might be 
called his sons by creation. But he had no 
other Uke Jesus, who '^loas in the begifining- 
with Godj and who was God who pos- 
sessed all the attributes and perfections of his 
Father ; as much as Isaac was a perfect man, 
and possessed all the attributes and perfec- 
tions of man like his father. I say God had 
only ONE SUCH Son : and as Abraham gave 
up Isaac, so God gave up his Son Jesus. 
Was Isaac to suffer a most painful deaths to 
be offered up as a bleeding sacrifice ? The 
Saviour did actually suffer and expire amid 
agonies the most dreadful when he died, 
"the just for the unjust, that he might bring 
us to God." Did Abraham receive Isaac 
back again as one that he had given up, 
and accounted already dead? So did God 
receive Jesus back again from under the do- 
minion of death ; and as Abraham rejoiced 
over Isaac when he took him from the altar, 
so God rejoiced over his well beloved Son 
when he had finished the work given him 
to perform, and risen triumphant over death 
and the grave. 

From this we see, that God was pleased to 
make known to Abraham the very manner 



100 



LiFE OF ABRAHAM. 



in which he would provide salvation for a 
guilty world. It cost the patriarch and his 
son a trial. But the privilege was as great 
as the trial : so Abraham regarded it : he re- 
joiced over it as the crowning mercy of his 
life. The Saviour said when he was on 
earth, " Abraham rejoiced to see my day^ 
and he saw it, and "Was gladJ^ 

I must add one thing more, which, though 
the last, is not the least important. It is, that 
this whole transaction was as much for our 
profit as it was for Abraham's. It teaches a 
lesson for our faith and love, and illustrates 
the amazing condescension of God in giving 
up the Son of his love to suffer and die for 
us, poor, guilty, perishing sinners. If the of 
fering up of Isaac affects us to tenderness, 
and even to tears, how should we feel when 
we think of the offering up of Jesus ? O ! that 
heart must be fearfully hard and wicked 
w^hich is not melted at such love, and such 
mercy as God manifested when he spared not 
his OWN Son, but gave him up freely for us. 

Herein is love, not that we [first] loved 
God, but that he loved us ivith pity the 
most generous, and compassion the most 
tender and melting, ^ 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



101 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Twelve years of peace and prosperity — ^Death of Sarah 
— Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah — A beautiful 
picture of primitive politeness appears in the purchase — 
The first money-transaction recorded in history. 

Friend after friend departs, 

Who hath not lost a friend 1 
There is no union here of hearts 
That finds not here an end. 
Were this frail world our final rest, 
Living or dying none were blest. 

Beyond the flight of time — 

Beyond the reign of death — 
There surely is some blessed clime, 
Where life is not a breath, 
Nor life's affections transient fire, 
Whose sparks fly upward and expire. 

There is a world above 

Where parting is unknown ; 
A long eternity of love, 
Form'd for the good alone. 
And faith beholds the dying here 
Translated to that glorious sphere. 

Thus star by star declines, 

Till all are past away ; 
As morning high, and higher shines, 
To pure and perfect day. 
Nor sink those stars in empty night, 
But hide themselves in heaven's own light. 

Montgomery. 

We have seen in the last chapter, that 
Abraham was called to pass through a severe 
but instructive and profitable trial He came 



102 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



out of it as gold comes out of the crucible, 
purified, but not consumed. With a firmer 
faith; and affections more elevated and pure, 
he was better fitted for either this world or 
the next : and was in less danger of being 
drawn away by temporal prosperity from his 
steadfast love to God. As storms and tem- 
pests purify the air, and are generally follow- 
ed by deUghtful calms — as after these storms 
have passedj the sun comes forth more bright 
and beautiful, and the fields are clothed with 
robes of richer green, and the flowers send up 
fresh clouds of perfume : so after this stormy 
tiial was past, the hfe of the patriarch seemed 
more bright and beautiful than ever. Twelve 
happy years glided away, in which we hear 
of nothing to disturb his peace. It is true, 
time was busy in burnishing his locks, and 
those of his beloved Sarah, with some silvery 
tints; and it had planted now and then a 
wrinkle on that fair face on which the patri- 
arch ,had so often gazed with such intense 
delight. But the old age of Abraham and 
Sarah was not one of gloom and peevish mo- 
roseness. It was a sunny old age, which, like 
autumn, was rich in mellow fruits. In the 
company of their beloved Isaac, this peaceful 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



103 



old age was passing quietly along. Their 
family was a picture of piety and content. 
But this life is, after all, only a journey to the 
tomb. The time at length arrived, when 
Abraham must again be reminded that this 
world was not his home. He had long lived 
with the wife of his youth : their attachment 
to each other had been tender and lasting ; 
and well it might be, for they had found in 
each other a rare assemblage of excellences. 
But death breaks the most tender ties ; and 
makes no distinction in favour of even the 
most virtuous. It now entered the sanctuary 
of Abraham's family, and summoned the 
partner of his joys, and comforter of his pil- 
grimage, to her final rest. The Bible does not 
give a description of the closing scene; but 
we have no reason to doubt that her exit 
was calm, and her end peace. We picture 
to ourselves the end of one whoj lovely to the 
last; 

"Now sunk by slow degrees away, 
So calmly from her sorrows borne, 

'Twas like the opening blush of day 

So softly spread we scarce can say 

Which is the twilight, which the morn." 

Abraham felt the stroke, and though he 
did not murmur, still he wept Tears were 



104 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



due to the memory of such a wife. Yet the 
patriarch did not sorrow as those without hope 
He knew that the earthly Canaan was not 
their home : and that Sarah had only gone a 
little before him to the enjoyments of the 
heavenly Canaan. 

** Say, what is death T 'tis life's fast shore, 
Where yanities are vain no more \ 
Where all pursuits their goal obtain, 
And life is all retouch'd again." 

The Bible gives us a very particular ac- 
count of Sarah's funeraL It is an account 
full of interest, a delightful record of the sim- 
plicity and politeness of ancient times. Abra- 
ham appears in this transaction as a man of a 
truly noble soul, adorned with the most "amia- 
ble and respectable virtues." " And Abraham 
stood up from before his dead, and spake unto 
the sons of Heth, sayings I am a stranger 
and a sojourner with you : give me a posses- 
sion of a burying-place with you, that I may 
bury my dead out of my sight. And the chil- 
dren of Heth answered Abraham, saying 
unto him, Hear us, my lord: thou art a 
mighty prince among us ; in the choice of 
our sepulchres bury thy dead : none of us 
shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



105 



that thou mayest bury thy dead. And Abra- 
ham stood upj and bowed himself to the peo- 
ple of the land, even to the children of Heth» 
And he communed with them, saying, If it 
be your mind that I should bury my dead 
out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me 
to Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may 
give me the cave of Machpelah, which he 
hath, which is in the end of his field : for as 
much money as it is worth he shall give it 
me, for a possession of a burying-place among 
you. And Ephron dwelt among the children 
of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered 
Abraham in the audience of the children of 
Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of 
his city, saying. Nay, my lord, hear me : the 
field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, 
I give it thee : in the presence of the sons of my 
people give I it thee: bury thy dead. And 
Abraham bowed down himself before the people 
of the land. And he spake unto Ephron, in 
the audience of the people of the land, saying. 
But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear 
me : I will give thee money for the field ; take 
it of me, and I will bury my dead there. And 
Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto 
him^ My lord, hearken unto me : the land is 



106: 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



worth four hundred shekels of silver ; what 
is that betwixt me and thee ? bury therefore 
thy dead. And Abraham hearkened unto 
Ephron ; and Abraham weighed to Ephron 
the silver, which he had named in the au 
dience of the sons of Hethj four hundred 
shekels of silver, current money with the 
merchant. And the field of Ephron, which 
was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, 
the field, and the cave which was therein, 
and all the trees that were in the field, that 
xoere in all the borders round about, were made 
sure unto Abraham for a possession, in the 
presence of the children of Heth, before all 
that went in at the gate of his city. And 
after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in 
the cave of the field of Machpelah, before 
Mamre : the same is Hebron in the land of 
Canaan." 

In the above account we see the tender and 
affectionate husband. He wishes to honour 
in death the remains of the woman whom 
he had loved and prized in life. But he is 
too noble-minded, generous, and independent 
to show respect to the memory of Sarah with 
that which costs him nothing. The courtesy 
of his neighbours he repays with true afiability 



LIFE 0F ABRAHAM. 107; 

and politeness, and is strictly honest and just : 
he will give the full value for the field, which 
was freely offered him as a gift. After the 
favourite spot is secured by fair and honour- 
able purchase, then Abraham buries his dead.* 
" It is worthy of observation that this is the 
first money-transaction which we read of in the 
world. Till then, and long after, both among 
the posterity of Abraham and other nations, a 
man's wealth was estimated by the number 
and quality of his cattle : and cattle were the 
principal instruments of commerce. Thus 
we read, in the writings of Homer, of a coat 
of mail Avorth a hundred oxen, a caldron 
worth twenty sheep, a cup or goblet worth 
twelve lambs, and the like. The words be- 
longing to commerce or exchange of property 
in the Greek language are mostly derived 
from the names of certain animals ; by means 
of which the exchange was originally carried 
on. Thus the word which signifies to traffic or 
commute one kind of goods for another, is de- 
rived from that which signifies a lamb. The 
word which is translated to sell, comes fiom 
one which signifies a colt or a young horse. 
The Greek term which denotes revenue or 
* Hunter. 



108 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



rent^ and that which signifies a sheep^ are 
of like import. A criminal, according to the 
magnitude of his crimej was compelled to pay 
a fine of four, twelve, or a hundred oxen. A 
%cealthy person was called a man of many 
lambs, 

" But as early as the times of Abraham, it 
had been discovered that silver was a more 
convenient article for traflfic, and all civilized 
nations have finally made silver and gold the 
principal article by which business is trans- 
acted." * Happy, happy indeed, would the 
world be, if men were only as well agreed in 
imitating the piety and heavenly wisdom of 
Abraham as they are in imitating his loorldly 
wisdom. 



* Hunter. 



LIFE OF ABRA.HAM. 



109 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The patriarch desires to see his son settled in life- — ^Un- 
usual advantages for forming a matrimonial connection — - 
Importance of the measure — Abraham's opinions on the 
subject— Sends to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor, a 
pious and judicious messenger — An interview at a well — 
A discreet, beautiful, and modest young lady, named Re- 
bekab, granddaughter of Nahor, agrees to accompany the 
messenger — They return, and Rebekah becomes the wife 
of Isaac — ^A happy family. 

About three years after the death of Sarah, 
we find Abraham beginning to make arrange- 
ments for having Isaac settled in Hfe. He 
wishes to see him married and fixed in a home 
of his own. And how does he proceed in 
this matter ? We must remember that Abra- 
ham is very wealthy, and highly respected in 
all the country where he lives. The people 
of Heth consider him "a mighty prince among 
them and we have seen that the king of 
Gerar esteemed him so highly that he came 
with Phichol his chief captain to make a cove- 
nant of friendship with him. The king of 
Egypt had also made him large presents, and 
the king of Sodom : and King Melchizedek 
went out to meet him and do him honour. 
We may conclude, then, that the princes of 
the land would esteem it no small privilege 



110 LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 

to have their daughters form a matrimonial 
connection with his family. It is reasonable, 
too, to suppose, that Isaac was a man of no 
mean personal appearance. Josephus, the 
Jewish historian, represents him as a man 
of remarkable beauty. Probably this fact 
had come down to him by tradition. But 
there are other reasons which would lead to 
such a conclusion. Abraham and Isaac were 
both intellectual men, and an intellectual 
countenance is not often a disagreeable one. 
Besides, Isaac was the son of the beautiful 
Sarah. His beauty, however, is a matter of 
no great consequence, except that it would be 
one among other things which would enable 
his father to choose a wife for him almost any- 
w^here he pleased. 

With all these advantages what course did 
the father and son pursue in this matter? Its 
importance was great beyond what I can de- 
scribe. Isaac was to be the father of a great 
nation, and a nation chosen by God to pre- 
serve the true reUgion. It was to be a nation 
among whom God would raise up prophets 
to declare his will, and foretell future events 
— a nation to whom God would commit the 

INSPIRED HISTORY OP THE WORLD: and 



LIFj: OF ABRAHAM. 



Ill 



to whom he would intrust those written 
revelations of his will which are now form- 
ed into one book, and called the bible. It 
was to be a nation among whom the Saviour 
OF THE WORLD would make his appearance. 

Now, if Isaac had married only for wealth 
or beauty, he might have introduced some 
captivating and ensnaring idolater into the 
family of Abraham ; by whom his heart 
might have been turned away from God, as 
King Solomon's heart was turned away by 
his idolatrous wives. And then his children, 
instead of being trained up in the worship of 
the true God, might have been initiated into 
the senseless and coiTupting worship of dumb 
idols. 

Abraham understood all this. He was not 
like those parents who are willing to sell the 
eternal interests of their children's souls, 
and are glad to marry them into a heathen, 
an infidel, or into an irrehgious family, pro- 
vided they can only get money ^ or what they 
call honour, by the match. " With them the 
most valuable accomplishments of body and 
mind go for nothing, unless they are set off 
with gold." They literally marry their sons 
and daughters to so many pounds and 



113 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



shillings^ or so many dollars and cents. 
Neither the patriarch nor his son was willing 
to form any connection with the idolatrous 
Canaanites — no, nor with those who were not 
idolatrous : for even among these the true re- 
ligion appears to have been fast vanishing 
away ; and wickedness every year increasing. 
Virtue and religion, were with Abraham and 
Isaac the first, and chief objects of regard. 

We must recollect that Abraham had left 
his brother Nahor at Haran, in Mesopotamia. 
Nahor was a worshipper of the true God, and 
had trained up his children in the true reli- 
gion. It was among this brother's children 
that Abraham now determined to seek a wife 
for his son. But the patriarch did not wish 
to go to Mesopotamia himself, nor to send 
Isaac there. Providence had, however, pro- 
vided him with the means of sending by an- 
other. He had in his family an old, faithful 
and intelligent servant, worthy of being trust- 
ed anywhere. He had the chief manage- 
ment of Abraham's princely estate : and con- 
ducted himself so well that he was allowed 
to control it almost at pleasure. His name 
was Eliezer. Abraham called him, and re- 
quested him to bind himself by an oath that 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



113 



he would obey the directions he was about to 
give him. These were, that he would not 
take a wife unto Isaac of the daughters of 
the Canaanites. " But," said Abraham, thou 
shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, 
and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the 
servant said unto him, Peradventure the wo- 
man will not be willing to follow me unto 
this land : must I needs bring thy son again 
unto the land from whence thou camest? 
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou 
that thou bring not my son thither again. 
The Lord God of heaven, which took me 
from my father's house, and from the land 
of my kindred, and which spake unto me, 
and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy 
seed will I give this land, he shall send his 
angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife 
unto my son from thence. And if the woman 
will not be willing to follow thee, then thou 
shalt be clear from this my oath : only bring 
not my son thither again." To this Eliezer 
agreed, and took the oath according to the 
patriarch's wishes. 

The faithful servant now prepared imme- 
diately for his journey to Mesopotamia. He 
took ten camels and suitable presents, and 
8 



114 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



witb a number of his fellow-servants depart- 
ed. They appear to have had a prosperous 
and speedy journey, and in a few days found 
themselves near the city where the descend- 
ants of Nahor resided. 

The people in eastern countries frequently 
had their wells a little outside of their cities. 
Accordingly, Eliezer and his company halted 
by the well belonging to the city of Nahor. 
Here they alighted, and caused their weary 
camels to lie down and rest : Eliezer knew 
that it was the custom of the young maidens 
to come out to the wells at evening to draw 
water, and as the day was now drawing to a 
close he expected some of them would soon 
make their appearance. 

He was a pious man, and looked to Provi- 
dence for his guide. Lifting up his heart in 
prayer, he said : " O Lord God of my mas- 
ter Abraham, I pray thee send me good speed 
this day : and show kindness unto my mas- 
ter Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the 
well of water ; and the daughters of the men 
of the city come out to draw water : and let 
it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I 
shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, 
that I may drink ; and she shall say, prink ; 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



115 



and I will give thy camels drink also ; let the 
sam^e be she that thou hast appointed for thy 
servant Isaac ; and thereby shall I know that 
thou hast showed kindness unto my master." 

This prayer shows not only the piety, but 
also the discretion of Eliezer. He does not 
know which among the fair daughters of his 
master's relatives might make a suitable com- 
panion for Isaac. But God knows ; and it is 
an easy matter for him to direct ; so he asks 
for a sign. At the same time his good sense 
leads him to ask for such a sign as is natu- 
ral, and manifests humanity, condescension, 
and those other amiable qualities which pro- 
mise a discreet and virtuous wife. Before 
the good man finished his prayer, a dam- 
sel made her appearance. Her name was 
Rebekah. She was a daughter of Bethuel, 
a son of Nahor, and was young and beautiful. 
She went down into the well, which was pro- 
bably large, and furnished with a circular stair- 
way made of masonry work, and, having 
filled her pitcher, came up. Eliezer stepped 
forward to meet her, and requested her to give 
him a drink of water. She replied, " Drink, 
my lord, and I will draw for thy camels also." 
This she did, while Eliezer stood wondering 



116 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



at her simplicity of manners, her innocence 
and kindness. When she had done, he in- 
quired, " Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I 
pray thee : is there room in thy father's house 
for us to lodge in ?" She replied that she was 
the daughter of Bethuel, and granddaughter 
of Nahor, and added, that they had accom- 
modations, both for him, his men, and his 
camels. Eliezer immediately bowed to Re- 
bekah in token of his gratitude for her kind- 
ness, and then prostrated himself before God, 
and said : " Blessed be the Lord God of my 
master Abraham, who hath not left destitute 
my master of his mercy and his truth : I 
being in the way, the Lord led me to the 
house of my master's brethren." He also 
presented Rebekah with some valuable pre- 
sents, and "she ran and told them of her 
mother's house these things." 

" And Rebekah had a brother whose name 
was Laban, and he ran out unto the man at 
the well, and said, Come in, thou blessed of 
the Lord ; wherefore standest thou without ? 
for I have prepared the house, and room for 
the camels. And the mah came into the 
house : and he ungirded his camels, and gave 
straw and provender for the camels, and wa- 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



117 



ter to wash his feet, and the men's feet that 
were with him. And there was set meat 
before him to eat : but he said, I -will not eat 
until I have told mine errand. And he said, 
Speak on. And he said, I am Abraham's 
servant. And the Lord hath blessed my mas- 
ter greatly, and he is become great: and he 
hath given him flocks and herds, and sil- 
ver and gold, and men-servants, and maid- 
servants, and camels, and asses. And Sarah, 
my master's wife, bare a son to my master 
when she was old ; and unto him hath he 
given all that he hath. And my master made 
me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife 
to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, 
in whose land I dwell : but thou shalt go unto 
my father's house, and to my kindred, and 
take a wife unto my son. And I said unto 
my master, Peradventure the woman will 
not follow me ? And he said unto me. The 
Lord, before Avhom I walk, will send his 
angel with thee, and prosper thy way ; and 
thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kin- 
dred, and of my father's house. Then shalt 
thou be clear from this my oath when thou 
comest to my kindred ; and if they give not 
thee one^ thou shalt be clear from my oath. 



118 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



And I came this day unto the well, and said, 

0 Lord God of my master Abraham, if now 
thou do prosper my way which I go : behold, 

1 stand by the well of water ; and it shall 
come to pass, that when the virgin cometh 
forth to draw water ^ and I say to her, Give 
me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher 
to drink ; and she say unto me, Both drink 
thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let 
the same he the woman whom the Lord hath 
appointed out for my master's son. And before 
I had done speaking in mine heart. Behold, 
Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her 
shoulder ; and she went down unto the well, 
and drew water; and I said unto her. Let me 
drink, I pray thee. And she made haste, and 
let down her pitcher from her shoulder^ and 
said, Drink ; and I will give thy camels drink 
also : so I drank, and she made the camels 
drink also. And I asked her and said. Whose 
daughter art thou ? And she said. The daugh- 
ter of Bethuel, Nahor's son. And I bowed 
down my head, and worshipped the Lord, 
and blessed the Lord God of my master xibra- 
ham, which had led me in the right way, to 
take my master's brother's daughter unto his 
son. And now, if ye will deal kindly and 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



119 



truly with my master, tell me : and if not, 
tell me ; that I may turn to the right hand, 
or to the left. Then Laban and Bethuel an- 
swered and said, The thing proceedeth from 
the Lord ; we cannot speak unto thee bad or 
good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take 
her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's 
wife, as the Lord hath spoken. And it came 
to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard 
their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing 
himself to the earth." 

According to the customs of those days, 
Eliezer now presented gold and raiment, with 
other valuable articles, to Rebekah and her 
relatives. " And they did eat and drink, he 
and the men that were with him, and tarried 
all night : and they rose up in the morning ; 
and he said. Send me away unto my master. 
And her brother and her mother said. Let the 
damsel abide with us afeiv days, at the least 
ten ; after that she shall go. And he said 
unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord 
hath prospered my way ; send me away that I 
may go to my master. And they said, We will 
call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. 
And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, 
Wilt thou go with this man ? And she said, 



120 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



I will go." They then blessed Rebekah, and 
she departed, accompanied by a respectable 
female, who had been her nurse in infancy, 
and now went to be a sort of second mother 
to her. She had also other female attendants. 
"And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and 
they rode upon the camels, and followed 
the man ; and the servant took Rebekah, 
and went his way. And Isaac came from the 
way of the well Lahai-roi : for he dwelt in 
the south country. And Isaac went out to 
meditate in the field at the even-tide ; and he 
lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the 
camels were coming. And Rebekah lifted up 
her eyes ; and when she saw Isaac, she light- 
ed off the camel: for she had said unto the 
servant. What man is that walketh in the 
field to meet us ? and the servant had said. 
It is my master : therefore she took a vail, and 
covered herself And the servant told Isaac 
all things that he had done. And Isaac 
brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and 
took Rebekah, and she became his wife ; and 
he loved her : and Isaac was comforted after 
his mother's deathP 

Thus ends this beautiful picture of early 
times and manners. Isaac had been a dutiful 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



121 



and loving son ; he now became a kind and 
affectionate husband. In Rebekah we see the 
quahties most engaging in one of her age, 
and sex. She was gentle, courteous, modest, 
condescending, and discreet Above all, both 
were worshippers of the true God. Rebekah 
was introduced into a habitation that had al- 
ready become vocal with the sound of prayer 
and the songs of praise. What may not be 
hoped from a family where religion is the 
chief concern, and begins, and ends the day. 
" The blessing of the Lord is in the habitation 
of the righteous." 

CHAPTER XV. 

Abraham marries again, and has six sons, to whom he 
gives gifts, and sends them into Arabia and Syria to settle 
— The patriarch dies— Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the 
cave of Machpelah — His character — Abraham a blessing to 
the world. 

Abraham now saw his son settled to his 
entire satisfaction, and he felt released from 
his greatest earthly anxiety. Though a hun- 
dred and forty years old, he had not lost his 
strength or vigour. God had preserved both 
in a remarkable jnanner. Having been ac- 
customed for so many years to a married life, 



122 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



he doubtless felt the need of some one to cheer 
the loneliness of his habitation. He accord- 
ingly married a second wife, whose name was 
Keturah ; and by whom he had six sons. 
Their names were Zimram, Jokshan, Medan, 
Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. To prevent 
strife after his death, he made an entire settle- 
ment of his affairs during his life. He knew 
that property is the great source of contention 
among brethren, and as every prudent man 
should do, he made his wnll, and left no room 
for misunderstanding. To Isaac, the son of 
his first and principal wife, he left the greatest 
part of his property. To the others " he gave 
gifts,'^^ probably enough to start them comfort- 
ably in life. Most likely they were cattle, 
seed for sowing the land, and instruments for 
tilling it. That Isaac might not be disturbed 
by any envy, jealousy, or ambition that might 
arise among them, and that the intentions of 
Providence might be fulfilled in giving the 
land of Canaan to his descendants, Abraham 
sent them away eastward to settle themselves 
during his hfetime. There they became the 
heads or chiefs of populous tribes. 

Sooner or later all must die. The most 
vigorous health must finally give way. So 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



123 



it was in the case of Abraham : he at length 
found himself an old man, full of days and 
ripe for the tomb. His temperate habits, his 
constant exercise in the open air, his cheerful 
disposition, and, above all, the special blessing 
of God preserved him a long time. But the 
period had finally come so affectingly de- 
scribed in the following beautiful lines : — 

**Days of my youth — ^ye have glided away, 
Hairs of my youth — ^ye are frosted and gray, 
Eyes of my youth— your keen sight is no more, 
Cheeks of my youth — ^ye are furrow'd all o*er, 
Strength of my youth — all your vigour is gone, 
Thoughts of my youth — your gay visions are flown." 

But the patriarch could also add to the 
preceding — 

*'Days of my youth — I wish not your recall. 
Hairs of my youth — I 'm content ye should fall, 
Joys of my age ! in true wisdom delight, 
Eyes of my age ! be religion your light, 
Thoughts of my age ! dread ye not the cold sod, 
Hopes of my age ! be ye fix'd on your God.*' 

Yes, blissful visions of immortality lighted 
up a smile of joy on the patriarch's brow, and 
he daily waited the call of his Lord. He did 
not now wait long. The summons came. 

*' The weary wheels of life stood still at last." 

He heard the voice of his Master saying, 
" Come up higher." The sacred history says. 



124 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



He yielded up his spirit, and died in a good 
old age, an old man, fiill of years, and was 
gathered to his people." On this affecting 
occasion we find Isaac and Ishinael uniting 
their friendly sorrows over their father's grave. 
The body of' the good man was doubtless 
followed by a long train of sincere mourners, 
who felt that they had lost a friend and a 
benefactor : one who had been to them rather 
di father than a master. It was deposited in 
the cave of Machpelah by the side of Sarah, 
there to await the resurrection of the just. 

In the whole life of Abraham the Bible 
records but one or two faults. This is re- 
markable in a book which is always so im- 
partial ; and this one fact sets the patriarch's 
character in a most exalted light. But Abra- 
ham's virtue was not barely negative. It did 
not consist in merely doing no harm. It was 
virtue of the most active and exalted kind. 
His whole life was one of usefulness, and he 
has left the world a shining example of true 
excellence. Do my friends wish to know 
the secret of this rare virtue ? It was simply 
governing his whole life by two plain princi- 
ples, FAITH AND OBEDIENCE. 

This great man always believed what God 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM, ^ 125 

had said. He believed without wavering, and 
beheved with such a faith that one word of 
direction or promise was worth a thousand 
reasonings or disputings. But his obedience 
was equal to his faith. It was cheerful and 
prompt. As soon as he hears the voice of 
God, he is ready for his work. Not a moment 
is lost. No difficulty is too great to encounter, 
no danger too great to face, and no object too 
dear to give up. He believes with a firm and 
strong faith. He obeys with a cheerful, prompt, 
loving obedience. Such was the character and 
conduct of Abraham. His hfe was the glory 
of his age, and his example is a rich legacy 
to the church of God in all ages. " The 

MEMORY OP THE JUST IS BLESSED." 

Iq passing through the life of Abraham I 
have had occasion to notice Ishmael. But as 
the notice was very brief, I think my young 
readers would like to hear something of that 
very extraordinary man. If we turn to the 
sixteenth and seventeenth chapters of Genesis, 
we shall find several very interesting predic- 
tions concerning Ishmael and his descendants. 

First, He was to be the father of twelve 
princes, or chiefs of tribes. Gen. xvii, 20. 
Secondly, His descendants were to multiply 



126 * LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 

exceedingly, and become a great nation, verse 
20. Thirdly, He and his descendants were 
to be wild men. Gen. xvi, 12. Fourthly, 
Their hand was to be against every man, 
and every man's hand against them, verse 
12. Fifthly, They were, notwithstanding 
their hostility to all their neighbours, to con- 
tinue unsubdued ; they were to dwell in the 
presence of their brethren, verse 12. 

You can see at once, my dear children, that 
none but God could know w^hat would be- 
come of Ishmael. All except his being the 
father of twelve princes was told to his mother 
before his birth : and that fact was made 
known to Abraham when Ishmael was not 
more than twelve years old. Now, who can 
tell whether a child will live, and attain to 
manhood, or die in his younger years ? If 
he lives to grow up, who knows w^hether he 
will be the father of a family of children, or 
in that event, that the children will be just 
twelve, and all sons : and that these twelve 
sons will all live to be men, and become 
princes or chiefs ? Certainly none but God 
could foretel such events, or some one to whom 
God should reveal them. If, then, these pre- 
dictions were fulfilled, they are so many proofs 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM, 



127 



of the truth of that Bible in which they are 
recorded. They are so many proofs, that 
God is the author of the Bible, and that we 
are to receive it and obey it as his word. 

Now let us see if these predictions were ful- 
filled. The first I have named was, that Ish- 
mael was to be the father of twelve princes, or 
chiefs of tribes. This circumstance, particular 
as it was, was exactly fulfilled. Ishmael went 
and dwelt in the desert of Paran. This was a 
thinly inhabited country around mount Sinai, 
and not far from Egypt. He married an Egyp- 
tian woman, and had twelve sons. Moses 
has given us even their names. They were 
Nebajoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, 
Dumah, Massa, Kadar, Tema, Jetur, Na- 
phish, and Kedemah. "These," says the 
sacred history, " are the sons of Ishmael, and 
these are their names, by their towns, and by 
their castles, twelve princes according to their 
nations." It is a singular and interesting fact, 
that to this day, the descendants of Ishmael, 
under the name of Arabians or Arabs, live in 
tribes, and are governed by princes or chiefs. 

Secondly, His descendants were to multi- 
ply exceedingly, and become a great nation. 

It was but a short period after Ishmael had 



128 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



settled in Paran, before his descendants had 
multiplied and become so numerous that they 
were found carrying on trade with Egypt. 
Joseph was sold by his brethren to a company 
of Ishmaelite merchants. Afterward they mul- 
tiplied into large tribes, and were known under 
the name of Hagarenes, Nabotheans, Iture- 
ans, and especially Scenites, and Saracens. 
They generally continued a free and pros- 
perous people until the time of Mohammed, 
their famous leader, and pretended prophet, 
who laid the foundations for a mighty empire. 
After this, they became one of the most pow- 
erM nations, and extended their dominions 
over some of the best and fairest portions of 
the old world. Even the Romans, those great 
conquerors, did not subdue so many nations 
in so short a time as did these fierce descend- 
ants of Ishmael. They were finally driven 
back, and reduced within their former Umits, 
where, under the name of Arabs, they are still 
a numerous people. 

Thirdly, Ishmael was to be a wild man. 
This prediction related to his descendants as 
much as to himself 

Though he was born among a race of quiet 
shepherds, yet we are told he became an 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



129 



archer. He seems to have preferred the wild, 
daring, and romantic Ufe of hunting, to the 
more mild and peaceful one followed by his 
fathers ; and thus the prophecy was fulfilled 
as to himself But the description proved 
much more applicable to his descendants than 
to him. They are to this day a people wild 
in their looks and manners, and fierce and 
savage in their dispositions. They are found 
ranging the deserts, and are not easily soften- 
ed and tamed to society. The same wilder- 
ness where Ishmael lived by his bow is still 
inhabited by his wild descendants. Many of 
them neither sow nor plant, but spend their 
lives in roaming over the desert. 

Fourthly, It was predicted that their hand 
would be against every man, and every man's 
hand against them. 

One of these things is the natural conse- 
quence of the other. If their hand is against 
every man, every man will regard them with 
suspicion or enmity, or with both. The Arabs 
have been a race of robbers by land, and pi- 
rates by sea. They have been enemies to 
other nations, and other nations have been 
enemies to them. Even now, nearly four 
thousand years after the prediction was utter- 
9 



130 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



edj travellers passing through their country 
are obliged to go in large caravans, armed and 
guarded, or rather in little armies ; and watch 
and ward must be kept night and day, to 
escape these wild robbers, who go about in 
troops for plunder. 

Fifthly, Notwithstanding their hostile cha- 
racter they were to remain a free and uncon- 
quered people, dwelling in the prescence of 
their brethren. 

This was a very extraordinary prediction. 
There never was any other nation that ex- 
isted so long in a state of hostility to all its 
neighbours. General hostility has provoked 
general hatred, and led in all other instances 
to subjection. But the descendants of Ish- 
mael have dwelt in the presence of their bre- 
thren for nearly four thousand years, without 
ever as a nation being subdued. They have 
been attacked by some of the most mighty 
conquerors, at the head of the most powerful 
armies. Sesostris, Cyrus, Alexander the Great, 
and the Romans, have all made war upon 
them in turn. They have gained some tem- 
porary advantages over them, but the body 
of the nation has remained free. Mr. Gibbon, 
a historian very unfriendly to the Bible, is 



LIFE OF ABRAHAM. 



131 



obliged to confess this fact. His own words 
are, ^- The body of the nation has escaped 
the yoke of the most powerful monarchiesP 
"When they advance to battle," says he, 
" the hope of victory is in the front, and in 
the rear, the assurance of retreat. Their horses 
and camels, which in eight or ten days can 
perforin a march of four or five hundred miles, 
disappear before the conqueror: the secret 
waters of the desert elude his search, and his 
victorious troops are consumed with thirst, 
hunger, and fatigue, in pursuit of an invisi- 
ble foe, who scorns his efforts, and safely re- 
poses in the heart of the burning sohtude." 

Thus we see the descendants of Ishmael 
stand at this day as a living monument of 
the truth of the Bible ; assuring us, that the 
holy men of old, who wrote it, spake as 
they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 



THE END. 



